Destiny 2: All Patch Notes for Update 8.0.0.1 Overview in English

The servers are back online and players can finally log in to Destiny 2 thanks to Bungie’s intervention. Accordingly, the latest patch notes for the most recent update are now available in English. We will show you what has changed.

How was the launch of Destiny 2: The Final Shape? The motto for every release in Destiny 2 is “never play on patch day” and this time it could have been followed as well. Players could hardly connect to the servers at all. There were endless crashes and the servers are also fraught with instability and issues.

Luckily, Bungie had published the patch notes for the new update. You can find out what has changed in our overview.

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Destiny 2 shows the launch trailer for The Final Shape

All patch notes for update 8.0.0.1

To have all updates compactly summarized, we have packed all changes into their respective boxes. To see the changes, simply click on the box you want to read. There are changes to exotic armor, weapons, mods, and much more. Here are the notes:

Changes in Activities

Crucible

  • Competitive will now use the Blended “1-1-1″ Special Ammo system in place of the Crates system. We will begin rolling this system out to other playlists soon.
  • Adjusted spawns on Altar of Flame and Dead Cliffs for Countdown Rush to improve match balance.
  • Updated Private Match screens to support expanded options and to improve usability.
  • Updated sound effects for rank promotion and defense toasts in Competitive to better convey success or failure.
  • Fixed an issue where Relic meter was not correctly progressing in Relic.
  • Fixed an issue where Private Match activity modifiers would display inaccurately.

Shadowkeep

  • Fixed an issue in the mission Beyond where players would sometimes get stuck without the activity progressing them correctly.

Warlord’s Ruin

  • Fixed an issue in Warlord’s Ruin where the sound effect that occurs after a player is frozen by the tempest storm did not play correctly.

Crota’s End

  • Fixed an issue preventing completion of the All for One challenge and associated Triumph.

The Pantheon

  • Fixed an issue where The Pantheon emblems appeared in the General category rather than the Raids category in Collections.
Adjustments to UI/UX

General

  • Added a gameplay subtitles option that displays the speaker’s name before their dialog.
    • This option is off by default. To activate it, navigate to the Options menu and toggle it to on.
    • This feature does not affect cinematic subtitles.
  • Added Reputation Boost information for ritual activities to the Director.
    • Hovering over the Rituals nodes at the top of the Director (Vanguard Ops, Crucible, Gambit) will display when reputation boosts are active.
  • Fixed an issue where dungeon tracking stats were not displayed on emblems.

Fireteam Finder

  • Improved placement and visuals of the Reselecting Activity button so players have better access to it.
  • Fixed an issue where Fireteam Finder lobbies for Crucible Labs weren’t allowing the correct max number of players for the activity.
  • Fixed an issue where in some Fireteam Finder applications, player status was not displayed properly.

Guardian Ranks/Journey Screen

  • Made visual and functional improvements to the Journey screen and Guardian Ranks icons.
  • Fixed an issue where the Cherished Guardian Rank objective displayed the incorrect Commendation score requirement.

Quests

  • Added Milestones to the quest log.
    • Milestones will not count against a player’s maximum quest/bounty capacity.
  • Tracked quests will be sorted to the top of their categories when the quest log is reloaded next.
  • Added an option to set a specific Quest tab as the default.
    • The default Quest tab will be the first tab opened when the quest log is loaded.
  • Added text to the Quest tooltip to communicate when a Quest is directly launchable from its Quest Details screen.
Gameplay and Investment

Abilities

All Subclasses

  • All Super abilities now use the same damage-based recharge parameters.
    • Previously, energy gained through damage dealt and received was scaled based on the passive recharge rate of the Super, resulting in a broader delta between long-recharge Supers and short-recharge Supers than intended.
    • This will, for example, bring the real-world uptime of Ward of Dawn and Well of Radiance closer to the uptime of a Super like Arc Staff or Fists of Havoc.

Arc Subclasses

  • Arcstrider
    • Arc Staff:
      • Heavy palm strike attacks and heavy air slam blind enemies.
    • Disorienting Blow:
      • Decreased base cooldown time from 100 seconds to 90 seconds.
    • Tempest Strike:
      • Added additional damage resistance vs. PvE combatants when activated, lingering for a short duration after the attack.
  • Striker
    • Knockout
      • Increased bonus damage granted to powered melee attacks vs. PvE combatants from 25% to 50%.
      • Reworked healing behavior:
      • No longer unstuns health regeneration on melee defeats. Now instantly grants a chunk of healing that scales with the type of target defeated.
        • Player: 30 health points.
        • Minor combatant: 50 health points.
        • Major combatant: 75 health points.
        • Champion+ combatant: 100 health points.
    • Touch of Thunder
      • Lightning Grenade:
        • Now applies Jolt after the first damage event, rather than prior.
        • This means that the Jolt won’t instantly pop on application, and attackers will need to either wait for the second lightning burst from the grenade or deal additional damage via other means to trigger the Jolt’s chain lightning.
    • Storm Grenade:
      • Increased tracking travel speed when targeting PvE combatants by between 0.5 and 1 meters per second, increasing with the storm’s lifetime.
    • Thunderclap
      • Added additional damage resistance vs. PvE combatants when activated, lingering for a short duration after the attack.
      • Increased minimum damage vs. PvE combatants by 20%.
      • Increased maximum damage vs. PvE combatants by 33%.
      • Increased maximum damage vs. enemy players by 14%.
  • Stormcaller
    • Lightning Surge
      • Added additional damage resistance vs. PvE combatants when activated, lingering for a short duration after the attack.
      • This is intended to help players survive during the final lightning strike performance until the player returns to first person and can maneuver out of danger
    • Ball Lightning
      • Increased the final arming shape size by 30%.
      • Fixed an issue where the arming shape was offset upward, higher than the maximum damage range of the projectile’s detonation.
    • Chain Lightning
      • Increased secondary chain projectile’s base damage from 27 to 54.
  • Arc Grenades
    • Storm Grenade:
      • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 20%.
      • Touch of Thunder variant’s damage is unchanged.
    • Skip Grenade:
      • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 15%.
    • Arcbolt Grenade:
      • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 15%.
  • Arc Fragments
    • Spark of Recharge:
      • Ability regeneration bonus now persists until the player returns to full shields, rather than deactivating as soon as shields begin to recharge.
    • Spark of Beacons:
      • Now also triggers on defeating targets with Arc Power ammo weapons while amplified.
    • Spark of Frequency:
      • Now also grants 15 weapon stability on powered melee hit, in addition to its reload benefit.

Solar Subclasses

  • Solar General
    • Restoration
      • Restoration’s full-body visual effects now reduce their intensity while the player’s Super is active.
    • Cure
      • Cure’s healing now takes place over 0.1 seconds rather than instantly.
        • This change is unlikely to affect Cure’s efficacy in a meaningful way but is primarily intended to improve the readability of Cure’s heal in the middle of combat in the UI.
  • Gunslinger
    • Lightweight Knife
      • Now has 2 melee charges by default.
      • Increased throw animation speed by 33%.
      • Reduced suppression time between throws, so both knives can be thrown very quickly back-to-back.
      • The additional melee charge does not stack with Ophidia Spathe, due to the Exotic’s unique energy recharge behavior. We’ll be monitoring this and evaluating how things are playing once things go live.
    • Knock ‘Em Down
      • Reduced internal cooldown on throwing knife refund from 1 second to 0.2 seconds.
    • Gunpowder Gamble
      • Fixed an issue where Gunpowder Gamble was unable to damage Strand Tangles.
    • Golden Gun – Marksman
      • Reduced strength of Orbs of Power created on precision hit as follows:
        • When hitting non-boss enemies, reduced strength from 0.75x to 0.5x of a normal Super Orb of Power.
        • When hitting boss enemies, reduced strength from 0.75x to about 0.4x of a normal Super Orb of Power.
        • When hitting boss enemies while Star-Eater Scales is equipped, reduced strength from 0.75x to about 0.35x of a normal Super Orb of Power.
  • Sunbreaker
    • Consecration
      • Consecration’s slam attack can now shatter Stasis crystals.
      • Ignitions generated by Consecration now deal 20% additional damage to PvE combatants.
      • Fixed an issue where Consecration’s slam attack was sometimes unable to damage floating combatants while they were grounded.
      • Fixed an issue where Consecration’s intended PvE damage resistance was not being applied.
    • Hammer of Sol
      • Increased projectile submunition count when Sol Invictus is not equipped as follows:
        • If the projectile detonates within the first 0.7 seconds of its lifetime, it now creates 4 shrapnel submunitions, up from 3.
        • If the projectile detonates after the first 0.7 seconds of its lifetime, it now creates 6 shrapnel, up from 5.
        • When Sol Invictus is equipped, only 3 shrapnel submunitions are created, regardless of flight time.
      • Shrapnel submunitions now deal additional damage when Sol Invictus is not equipped, with the damage increasing after the first 0.7 seconds of the projectile’s lifetime.
  • Dawnblade
    • Heat Rises
      • Fixed an issue where throwing some grenades while Heat Rises was equipped would produce Void visual effects on the player’s hands during the throw.
    • Well of Radiance
      • Now grants radiant for 8 seconds when players exit the Well of Radiance area.
      • Reduced player survivability while standing in the Well of Radiance aura.
        • Reduced healing per second from 100 to 50 health points, matching restoration x2.
        • Increased heal on cast from 40 to 300 health points.
        • Reduced damage resistance vs. non-boss combatants from 40% to 20%.
        • Reduced damage resistance vs. boss combatants from 40% to 10%.
        • Damage resistance vs. enemy players is unchanged.
      • Increased maximum Orbs of Power from defeating targets while in the player’s Well of Radiance aura from 4 to 5.
    • Solar Grenades
      • Swarm Grenade
        • Increased tracking shape size from 4 meters to 6 meters.
        • Increased linger duration from 7-8 seconds to 10-11 seconds.
        • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 20%.

Void Subclasses

  • Void General
    • Fixed an issue where Volatile could fail to auto-detonate if the target was defeated by the damage event that applied the Volatile effect.
  • Nightstalker
    • Snare Bomb
      • Increased linger duration of smoke after detonation from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
      • Now applies small damage over time to enemies in the smoke, which increases in strength the longer they remain in the smoke.
    • Trapper’s Ambush
      • Increased linger duration of the smoke after detonation from 4.5 seconds to 6 seconds.
      • Now applies Snare Bomb’s damage over time to enemies caught in its smoke.
      • Fixed an issue where Trapper’s Ambush’s smoke effects could be obstructed by ground geometry.
    • Stylish Executioner
      • Stylish Executioner’s weaken effect can now be applied by Glaive melee attacks.
  • Sentinel
    • Shield Throw:
      • Increased maximum bounce count from 4 to 5.
      • Increased maximum lifetime from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
      • Now increases its tracking shape size and strength after each bounce, increasing its ability to consistently find a new target.
      • Slightly increased gravity and decreased thrust speed with each bounce.
      • Increased damage vs. PvE targets by 20%.
    • Ward of Dawn:
      • Armor of Light:
        • Removed Armor of Light overshield. Ward of Dawn now immediately applies a full Void Overshield to the caster and allies that enter its dome.
        • Armor of Light now instead grants additional damage resistance to players inside the Ward of Dawn:30% vs. enemy players and 60% vs. enemy combatants.
          • Effective health of players inside the Ward of Dawn dome remains roughly the same as it was before vs. PvE combatants.
          • Effective health of players inside the Ward of Dawn is significantly lower than it was before vs.other players in PvP, and cannot be further increased by stacking Bastion Barricades inside the Ward to gain additional Overshield layers.
        • No longer provides Weapons of Light by default. This behavior has been moved to the benefits of Helm of Saint-14.
        • Allies near the Ward of Dawn dome now have Void Overshield trickled on over time, similar to the volume behind a Bastion barricade.
          • This trickle rate is reduced in PvP activities.
        • The Ward of Dawn caster can now generate additional Orbs of Power by defeating enemies with melee attacks in or near their Ward of Dawn dome. Up to a maximum of 5.
    • Offensive Bulwark
      • Can now only extend Void Overshield’s timer to its normal maximum duration, to prevent an issue where players could get into a bad timer state.
      • Now regenerates a small portion of the player’s active Void Overshield with each melee defeat.
  • Voidwalker
    • Chaos Accelerant
      • Magnetic Grenade
        • Increased maximum intensity of physics knockback impulse by 10%.
        • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 20%.
        • Now passively decreases the player’s Magnetic Grenade’s cooldown by 10% while Chaos Accelerant is equipped.
    • Pocket Singularity
      • Increased detonation damage vs. PvE combatants by about 50%.
    • Nova Bomb
      • Cataclysm variant:
        • Increased seeker count from 4 to 6.
        • Fixed an issue where seekers could impact the environment on creation.
      • Vortex variant:
        • Increased Vortex linger duration from 7 seconds to 10 seconds.
        • Fixed an issue where the linger visual effects were shutting off early.
    • Void Grenades
      • Suppressor Grenade
        • Damage radius now matches Suppression radius.
        • This does not meaningfully change the damage profile of the grenade but is intended to provide additional feedback to the player when they have successfully Suppressed a target.
      • Voidwall Grenade
        • Fixed an issue where the central damage volume was offset significantly lower than the left and right volumes.
    • Void Fragments
      • Echo of Instability
        • Can now be activated by defeating targets with Forerunner’s The Rock grenade.
        • No longer displays its HUD buff text unless a Void weapon is readied.

Stasis Subclasses

  • Stasis General
    • New Frost Armor keyword:
      • You are fortified by layers of durable Stasis matter, reducing incoming damage. Frost Armor damage resistance grows stronger as the player gains additional stacks.
      • Reduces damage from PvE combatants by 4.5% per stack and from enemy players by 2% per stack.
    • Stasis Shatter
      • Increased base PvE shatter damage from 200 to 400.
      • Fixed an issue where bosses auto-shattering were being hit by two instances of shatter damage.
      • Fixed an issue where players in an active Super would show immune damage flyouts when automatically breaking out of Stasis freeze.
  • Revenant
    • Grim Harvest
      • Added new behavior:
        • While Grim Harvest is equipped, Stasis Shards grant a small amount of health and a stack of Frost Armor.
        • Large Stasis Shards from Grim Harvest grant more health and Frost Armor stacks.
      • Now has a standardized cooldown when a large number of Shards are created very quickly.
    • Winter’s Shroud
      • Added new behavior:
        • Slowing targets briefly increases the player’s class ability regeneration rate.
          • Bonus is reduced in PvP game modes.
        • Now grants PvE damage reduction when activated.
      • Touch of Winter
        • Coldsnap Grenade:
          • No longer chains an additional time while Touch of Winter is equipped.
          • Instead, seekers now duplicate when they freeze a target.
          • Second and third seeker chains now create a medium and large Stasis crystal respectively, rather than every chain creating a small crystal.
        • Glacier Grenade:
          • Added an additional Stasis crystal to the ring formation, increasing total count from 6 to 7.
          • Glacier Grenade ring now forms over 0.27 seconds, rather than instantly.
      • Silence & Squall
        • Increased Squall maximum travel speed by 10%.
        • Squall storm now slows down when any target is within its area of effect to reduce instances where it could overshoot its target.
        • Increased damage and slow tick rate vs. PvE combatants by about 40%, bringing its freeze time from approximately 0.8 seconds to ~0.5 seconds.
  • Behemoth
    • Tectonic Harvest
      • Added new behavior:
        • While Tectonic Harvest is equipped, Stasis Shards grant a small amount of health and a stack of Frost Armor.
        • Now creates a Stasis Shard when shattering a frozen target in addition to shattering Stasis crystals.
      • Now has a standardized cooldown when a large number of Shards are created very quickly.
    • Glacial Quake
      • Now automatically begins sprinting when the player throttles forward.
        • This change should make Shattering the player’s Stasis Crystals significantly more intuitive in the heat of combat.
      • Increased on-cast Freeze impulse radius vs. PvE combatants from 6 meters to 8 meters.
    • Shiver Strike
      • Increased damage vs. PvE combatants by 10%.
      • Increased size of melee target search area cone by about 50%.
      • Increased maximum lunge tracking angular speed from 7 degrees per second to 21 degrees per second.
        • The end result of these changes is that Shiver Strike misses significantly less and is able to bend its lunge trajectory more to find a target within its search area.
    • Diamond Lance
      • Increased thrown Diamond Lance detonation radius from 3.5 meters to 5 meters.
      • Increased Diamond Lance slam detonation radius from 6.75 meters to 8 meters vs. PvE combatants.
      • Diamond Lance now shatters Stasis crystals on direct impact.
      • Reduced Diamond Lance pickup interaction time from 0.2 seconds to 0.1 seconds, matching Strand Tangles.
      • Increased Diamond Lance pickup interaction radius from 0.7 meters to 3 meters, matching Strand Tangles.
    • Cryoclasm
      • Removed sprint time requirement. Cryoclasm now goes on cooldown for 4 seconds after one extended slide.
  • Shadebinder
    • Glacial Harvest
      • Added new behavior:
        • While Glacial Harvest is equipped, Stasis Shards grant a small amount of health and a stack of Frost Armor.
      • Now has a standardized cooldown when a large number of Shards are created very quickly.
    • Iceflare Bolts
      • Increased maximum seekers created before going on cooldown from 5 to 7.
  • Stasis Fragments
    • Whisper of Rime reworked:
      • No longer grants a Stasis Shard Overshield when collecting a Stasis Shard.
      • Now increases the maximum duration and stack count of the player’s Frost Armor.
    • Whisper of Chains reworked:
      • No longer grants passive damage resistance when near a Stasis crystal or frozen target.
      • Now grants a chance to create a Stasis Shard when defeating a target while the player have one or more stacks of Frost Armor.
    • Whisper of Fractures reworked:
      • No longer increases melee energy regeneration while surrounded by enemies.
      • Now grants a stack of Frost Armor when the player shatters any frozen target with a melee attack.
    • Whisper of Torment
      • Grenade energy gains are no longer dependent on the player’s current health value. Base grenade energy regeneration amount per incoming damage event increased from 5% to 7%.
      • While the player has Frost Armor, energy per damage event increases from 7% to 12%.
    • Whisper of Chill – New Fragment:
      • Stasis weapon final blows have a chance to create a Stasis Shard.
    • Whisper of Reversal – New Fragment:
      • While the player has Frost Armor, dealing or receiving physical melee (i.e., not projectile melee) damage slows the player’s victim or attacker.

Strand Subclasses

  • Strand General
    • Grapple Tangles
      • No longer fully refresh their duration when Grappled to.
      • Now increase their duration by a maximum of 5 seconds per Grapple, reducing to a maximum of 1 second added after 5 consecutive Grapples to the same Grapple Tangle.
    • Grapple Melee
      • Can no longer be activated after firing a weapon, similar to sprint-or-slide-activated melee abilities.
    • Tangles
      • Tangles will now be paired with the text “Pick Up Tangle” instead of only “Pick Up”.
  • Threadrunner
    • Ensnaring Slam
      • Detonation volume vs. enemy players is now a cylinder with a 6.5-meter radius, rather than a sphere with an 8-meter radius.
        • This results in fewer instances of victims correctly attempting to counterplay by jumping but being caught by the Ensnaring Slam detonation high up in the air.
    • Threaded Specter
      • Arming shape vs. PvE combatants now grows more quickly, resulting in more responsive detonations when used in close quarters.
    • Threaded Spike
      • Reduced damage vs. enemy players from 79 to 70.
      • Catching a Threaded Spike no longer breaks invisibility.
  • Berserker
    • Into the Fray
      • Reduced melee energy regeneration scalar from 4x to 3x in PvE activities.
      • Unchanged in PvP activities.
    • Banner of War
      • Reduced maximum timer from 30 seconds to 24 seconds.
      • Melee, Glaive melee, and Super damage bonus now have diminishing returns with Synthoceps as follows:
        • Melee bonuses decreased from 1.4x to 1.15x.
        • Glaive melee bonuses decreased from 1.25x to 1.125x.
        • Super bonuses decreased from 1.4x to 1.2x.
      • Melee and Glaive melee damage bonuses now have diminishing returns with Wormgod Caress, too.
        • Melee bonuses decreased from 1.4x to 1.1x, based on stack count.
        • Glaive melee bonuses decreased from 1.4x to 1.05x, based on stack count.
    • Frenzied Blade / Bladefury
      • Reduced the forward offset for melee lunge target point from 0.4 meters to 0.18 meters.
        • This should reduce instances where attempting to lunge to a target while at very close range resulted in the character lunging backwards.
  • Broodweaver
    • Weaver’s Call
      • Added new behavior:
        • Defeating a target with Strand damage now has a chance to generate a perched Threadling, with a higher chance of generation from defeating more powerful targets.
        • This damage can be from any source, including other Threadlings.
    • Weavewalk
      • Fragment slots have been increased from 1 to 2
  • Strand Fragments
    • Thread of Warding
      • Reduced Woven Mail duration on Orb of Power pickup from 10 seconds to 5 seconds.
    • Thread of Propagation
      • No longer displays its HUD buff text unless a Strand weapon is readied.
Exotic Armor
  • Exotic armor can now be upgraded after it has been fully masterworked, granting an Artifice mod slot.
    • This comes at the cost of an Exotic Cipher and 10,000 Glimmer.
  • Hunter
    • Renewal Grasps
      • Replaced generic damage resistance with Frost Armor:
        • On entering your Duskfield Grenade volume, you or allies gain a stack of Frost Armor.
        • About every 0.9 seconds, an additional stack of Frost Armor is granted, resetting the timer.
    • Triton Vice
      • Glaive projectile final blows now always trigger a detonation that matches the Glaive’s damage type, even when the Glaive does not match the equipped subclass.
      • The surrounded effect provided by Triton Vice while wielding a Glaive now lingers on the player for five seconds after no longer being surrounded.
    • The Sixth Coyote
      • Now creates an Orb of Power from final blows after using a class ability in addition to its previous behavior.
        • This is implemented as the Exotic granting a free copy of the Reaper armor mod’s effects.
    • Star-Eater Scales
      • Increased the Orbs of Power required to grant maximum benefits from 4 to 6.
      • Reduced the increased Super energy gained per Orb of Power when the Golden Gun is equipped from 2% down to 0.5%.
      • Fixed an issue where the Super damage boost for attacks that occur quickly after initial cast, such as Shadowshot at close range, was not always applied.
      • Fixed an issue where a player could maintain the damage bonus after removing Star-Eater Scales.
    • Foetracer
      • Now grants the bonus damage it inflicts on a target to weapons. The damage type also matches that of the ability used to damage that target, instead of always matching the equipped subclass.
    • Assassin’s Cowl
      • Now requires the player to expend a melee charge (or defeat an enemy via a finisher) to activate.
    • Mask of Bakris
      • Now requires a Stasis Super to be equipped, instead of a Stasis subclass.
      • Re-enabled the “Light Shift” debuff in the HUD when a class ability is not recharging.
        • This is a cosmetic-only change to keep the cooldown visible even while not holding a weapon that benefits from its damage boost.
      • Fixed an issue where Mask of Bakris applied a Tier 2 damage buff instead of a Tier 4 and failed to display the time remaining on a certain Solar weapon.
        • Additionally, the Solar damage buff will now function in the Crucible.
    • The Bombardiers
      • Now triggers an effect based on the equipped Super element, instead of the equipped subclass.
    • Celestial Nighthawk
      • Fixed an issue where players could swap from Celestial Nighthawk to Knucklehead Radar after activating their Super and be granted the benefits from both Exotics.
    • Dragons Shadow
      • Now triggers its effects when the player uses Ensnaring Slam or the new Ascension Arc Aspect.
    • Liars Handshake
      • Counterpunch now does Arc damage instead of Kinetic.
  • Titan
    • Helm of Saint-14
      • Now causes the wearer’s Ward of Dawn to apply the Weapons of Light buff to allies.
    • Ursa Furiosa
      • Now provides increased movement speed while guarding with the new Unbreakable Void Aspect.
      • Also grants Super energy for guarding with Unbreakable that scales based on the amount of incoming damage the shield absorbs.
    • Eternal Warrior
      • No longer requires an Arc subclass for Arc final blows to grant its escalating Arc weapon damage bonus.
    • Armamentarium
      • Now creates an Orb of Power from grenade final blows in addition to its previous behavior.
        • This is implemented as the Exotic granting a free copy of the Firepower armor mod’s effects.
    • Khepri’s Horn
      • Increased the damage from the Solar blast by 100% in PvE.
      • The Solar blast now Scorches each time it hits a target, instead of Scorching only once.
      • Khepri’s Horn now benefits from Ember of Eruption and Ember of Ashes (+30 Scorch in PvE and +15 Scorch in PvP).
    • Synthoceps
      • Reduced the amount of time that Bionic Enhancements lingers after no longer being surrounded, from 8 seconds to 5 seconds. This duration is now visible as a timer on the buff.
    • Severance Enclosure
      • Now requires the player to expend a melee charge (or defeat an enemy via a finisher) to activate.
      • Its explosions now require line of sight to damage enemies. We also reduced the knockback intensity of these explosions, which will now launch enemies more consistently vertically.
    • Heart of Inmost Light
      • Now displays a single, consolidated status effect icon in the HUD to communicate its state, instead of the two to three it used before.
        • The functionality of the Exotic is unchanged.
    • One-Eyed Mask
      • Fixed an issue where the negative status effects applied to victims by One-Eyed Mask no longer persist after death.
    • Precious Scars
      • Now requires a weapon matching the equipped Super element, instead of the equipped subclass.
    • Hoarfrost-Z
      • Now requires a Stasis Super to be equipped, instead of a Stasis subclass.
    • Cadmus Ridge Lancecap
      • Now requires a Stasis Super to be equipped, instead of a Stasis subclass.
    • Lorely Splendor
      • Now requires a Solar Super to be equipped, instead of a Solar subclass.
    • No Back Up Plans
      • Now requires a Void Super to be equipped, instead of a Void subclass.
    • Path of Burning Steps
      • Now requires a Solar Super to be equipped, instead of a Solar subclass.
    • Hallowfire Heart
      • Now requires a Solar Super to be equipped, instead of a Solar subclass.
  • Warlock
    • Ballidorse Wrathweavers
      • Replaced Stasis Shard Overshield with Frost Armor.
      • Activating a Rift grants the player and nearby allies the maximum Frost Armor stacks when Frostpulse is equipped.
      • Activating a Winter’s Wrath shatter attack grants nearby allies the maximum amount of stacks of Frost Armor. When Winter’s Wrath ends, the player gains maximum stacks of Frost Armor.
    • Mantle of Battle Harmony
      • Now grants Super energy ranging between +1.5% and +4.5%, depending on the target type killed.
      • Removed the 2-second cooldown for the perk’s activation.
      • Now requires a weapon matching the equipped Super element, instead of the equipped subclass.
    • Secant Filaments
      • Updated Secant Filaments to require a Void Super instead of a Void subclass.
      • Secant Filaments Empowering Rift will now reset a player’s existing Devour buff duration back to 11 seconds when they enter it, in addition to its previous behavior.
      • Fixed an issue where Secant Filament’s Overload Rift was removing anti-Champion capabilities granted by the artifact.
    • Sunbracers
      • Reduced the increased Solar Grenade duration from 4 seconds to 2 seconds.
      • Reduced its increased grenade recharge rate to allow a max of 4 grenades while the effect is active, down from 5.
      • Fixed an issue where Sunbracers would not remove the “Sunbracers Ready” buff from the player when they throw a grenade.
    • Cenotaph Mask
      • Multiple players using Cenotaph Mask can no longer trigger its effect using a single enemy target.
      • Cenotaph’s target lock visual marker is now hidden for the Exotic’s wearer and only appears to the wearer’s allies.
    • Verity’s Brow
      • Now requires final blows with a weapon matching the player’s grenade damage type, instead of one matching the equipped subclass.
    • Felwinter’s Helm
      • Now requires the player to expend a melee charge (or defeat an enemy via a finisher) to activate.
    • Wings of Sacred Dawn
      • Updated its description to correctly indicate that its effects are only active with Dawnblade equipped, rather than all Solar Supers.
    • Contraverse Hold
      • Updated its description to clarify it only works with Void grenades charged with the Chaos Accelerant Aspect.
    • Chromatic Fire
      • Now triggers an effect based on the player’s equipped Super element, instead of the equipped subclass.
    • Promethium Spur
      • Now works with any equipped Solar Super.
    • Sanguine Alchemy
      • Now requires a weapon matching the equipped Super element, instead of the equipped subclass.
    • Vesper of Radius
      • The ability for the shockwave to blind now requires an Arc Super to be equipped, instead of an Arc subclass.
    • Karnstein Armlets
      • Fixed an issue where Karnstein Armlet’s visual effects were not functioning correctly.
    • Necrotic Grips
      • Updated Necrotic Grips description to note that it requires a melee and that it works against both combatants and players.
Armor Mods
  • The Artifice mod socket icon has been updated to make it more distinct.
  • Removed the energy cost from raid-specific armor mods.
  • Updated all Harmonic armor mods to change their element based on the currently equipped Super, rather than subclass.
    • This behavior is also now explained in their descriptions.
  • A Strand Resistance mod has been added.
    • Additionally, Harmonic Resistance is now compatible with Strand.
  • Heavy Ammo Finder and Special Ammo Finder armor mods now persist their progress towards an ammo brick through death.
  • Heavy Ammo Finder and Special Ammo Finder armor mods no longer function in Crucible, and opposing-team kills will no longer grant Ammo Finder progress in Gambit.
  • Heavy Ammo Finder and Special Ammo Finder armor mods have had their kill requirements increased by 20% for Guardians in a fireteam.
    • Solo Guardian requirements are unchanged.
  • Fixed an issue where Orb of Power mods would not pick up Orbs when Super energy was full. Mods affected are:
    • Recuperation (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Better Already (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Innervation (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Invigoration (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Insulation (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Absolution (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Orbs of Restoration (Leg Armor Mod)
    • Powerful Friends (Helmet Armor Mod)
  • Fixed an issue where multiple copies of Empowered Finisher could be active at once in rare cases.
    • Additionally, corrected an issue where its tooltip did not describe it as having no stacking benefits.
Other
  • Fixed an issue where older Solstice armor did not display the correct glow color when using a Strand or Stasis Super.
Weapons
  • Updated Heavy, Adaptive, and Aggressive Burst weapon intrinsic names to match burst count across all weapon archetypes. Functionality is unchanged.
    • 2-burst: Heavy Burst
      • Includes Sidearms, Hand Cannons, and Pulse Rifles. 
    • 3-burst: Adaptive Burst
      • Includes Sidearms, Linear Fusion Rifles, and Adaptive Pulse Rifles. 
    • 4-burst: Aggressive Burst
      • Includes Pulse Rifles. 
  • Removed the foundry name from the Veist Rapid-Fire, Häkke Precision, and Omolon Adaptive weapon intrinsics.
Weapon Archetypes
  • Exotic Primary Weapons and Trace Rifles
    • Reduced damage bonus versus Minors from 40% to 30% (except Fighting Lion).
    • Exotic Primary Weapons and Trace Rifles benefit from the below damage buffs versus Minor combatants.
  • Increased base PvE damage versus all combatants.
    • Pulse Rifles: 20%
      • Exceptions: Graviton Lance and Revision Zero’s Heavy Burst mode. (These both have an intrinsic PvE damage buff built in.) 
    • Pellet Shotguns: 10%
      • Exceptions: Legend of Acrius, Tractor Cannon, Conditional Finality, and The Fourth Horseman. (These are all already performing as intended.) 
    • Slug Shotguns: 9% 
    • Fusion Rifles: 7%
      • Exceptions: One Thousand Voices. (This one was just buffed.) 
    • Sniper Rifles: 7%
      • Exceptions: Izanagi’s Burden’s Honed Edge shots and Cloudstrike’s storm. (These are both performing well.) 
    • Glaive projectiles: 7% 
    • Linear Fusion Rifles: 5% 
  • Increased damage versus Minors (red bars)—this stacks with the base PvE damage increase.
    • Sidearms, Trace Rifles, Scout Rifles, and Bows: 20% 
    • Auto Rifles and Pulse Rifles: 15% 
    • For Pulse Rifles, this is in addition to the above buff, and Graviton Lance and Revision Zero’s Heavy Burst mode are included.
      • I.e. Pulse Rifles will do 1.2 * 1.15 = 38% more damage to red bars. 
    • Submachine Guns: 10% 
    • Hand Cannons: 5% 
  • Increased damage versus Major combatants (orange bars).
    • Trace Rifles: 20% 
  • Increased damage globally, including PvP.
    • Machine Guns: 7% 
    • Swords: 7% 
  • With these damage increases, the following Spec mods have been retired:
    • Boss Spec, Taken Spec, Minor Spec, Major Spec, and Adept Big Ones Spec.
  • Scout Rifle
    • Updated the hip-fire reticle to better show accuracy and aim-assist state.
  • Hand Cannons
    • General
      • Reduced the screen shake dealt to players by Hand Cannon projectile impacts by 33% (does not affect flinch dealt to Combatants).
    • Heavy Burst
      • Reduced the base recoil of this sub-family to make them more stable.
    • Aggressives
      • Improved the stats of two Aggressive Hand Cannons that are returning in The Final Shape to be more competitive with our current offerings.
        • Crimil’s Dagger (Iron Banner)
          • Stability: 23 to 31 
          • Handling: 23 to 31 
          • Magazine Size: 8 to 9 
          • Airborne Effectiveness: 10 to 21 
        • Something New (Solstice)
          • Stability: 27 to 30 
          • Handling: 24 to 30 
          • Magazine Size: 8 to 9 
  • Sniper Rifles
    • Increased minimum reserves from 14 to 17 shots; maximum reserve is unchanged.
    • Changed the way flinch works when taking damage from players (this does not affect incoming damage from combatants).
      • Increased the screen shake duration by 25%.
      • Increased the screen shake intensity by 350%.
      • Reduced the camera roll by 25%.
  • Linear Fusion Rifles
    • Reduced firing animation kick and recoil for Adaptive Linear Fusion Rifles.
  • Kinetic damage type weapons
    • No longer deal bonus damage to bosses; damage to other combatant tiers is unchanged.
      • For example, a kinetic Sniper Rifle and a Stasis Sniper Rifle of the same subfamily will both deal the same damage to a boss. 
  • Wave Grenade Launchers
    • The size of the wave is now affected by the blast radius stat. This will mostly impact the width of the wave, though the length and height will also be scaled.
      • The default display stat for the blast radius has been changed from 100 to 50 (where 50 represents the previous baseline—any stat over 50 will result in a larger wave segment than what was possible before). 
    • Special ammo Wave – Frame Grenade Launchers overperform as add clear weapons in their current state, so we’ve pulled the length of the wave back a little.
      • Reduced the length of the waves from 22 meters to 15 meters (except for Dead Messenger). 
  • Swords
    • Updated the Sword reticle to better indicate its charge state. When Sword energy is consumed, the amount of delay the Sword has before it begins to recharge now subtly appears in the reticle. 
    • Fixed an issue where the Overwhelming Battlesong debuff from some missions would prevent Swords from recharging or losing energy while guarding. 
    • Fixed an issue where unpowered caster Sword heavy attacks would not reset the Sword’s energy recharge delay. 
    • Fixed an issue where uncharged adaptive Sword heavy attacks cost the same amount of ammo as their charged counterparts. They now cost 1 ammo, same as other uncharged heavy attacks. 
  • Rocket Sidearms
    • Added a slight delay to the detonation to allow perks to activate correctly if they required precision kills.
Exotics
  • Non-precision based add clear-Exotic Primary weapons:
    • Reduced splash damage by 10% on the following weapons:
      • Sunshot
      • Trinity Ghoul
      • Polaris Lance
      • Graviton Lance
  • Rat King
    • Swapped the firing animation to the same one used by other auto-fire Sidearms.
  • Dead Man’s Tale
    • Baseline:
      • Cranial Spike stacks now grant stability in addition to aim assist stat and range (+2 per stack). 
      • Increased reload speed benefit of Cranial Spike stacks. 
    • With catalyst, when hip-firing:
      • Slightly reduced accuracy benefits. 
      • Increased magnetism falloff scale (1.6 to 1.7). 
      • Increased baseline rate of fire from 130RPM to 140RPM. 
      • Removed PvE-only damage buff that scaled with stacks of Cranial Spike and added a 15% damage bonus at maximum stacks of Cranial Spike. 
  • Colony
    • Now spawns additional insectoid robots on final blows. More robots (up to five) spawn from tougher combatants.
  • Touch of Malice
    • Increased duration of burn applied by the Darkness Ball against combatants from 2 to 3.5 seconds.
  • Necrochasm
    • Intrinsic perk now provides increased reload speed after precision kills. 
    • Increased duration of burn applied by the Cursed Thrall explosion against combatants from 2 to 3.5 seconds. 
    • Catalyst has been rebuilt.
      • One for Thrall: Damaging 3 combatants in quick succession provides a period of increased damage, range, and aim assist. 
  • Truth
    • Increased area-of-effect (AoE) damage such that it doesn’t lose noticeable damage due to not dealing impact damage.
    • Increased total reserves by 3. (This is on top of the reserves change to high impact Rocket Launchers from the 7.3.5 update.)
  • Queenbreaker
    • Increased damage versus bosses, minibosses, Champions, and vehicles by 12%.
    • Increased reserve ammunition by 3.
  • Symmetry
    • Catalyst now provides +10 reload speed, +10 handling, and the Eddy Current perk, in addition to its existing effects.
  • Cerberus+1
    • Focus fire now will activate on Special reloads following a kill and will no longer reduce range or rate of fire.
    • Updated hipfire reticle to better convey weapon spread.
  • Bastion
    • Reworked Saint’s Fists perk: Dealing damage with melee increases the charge rate, damage, and reload speed for a short duration. Landing a majority of pellets in a burst increases melee damage.
  • Eriana’s Vow
    • Breaking a matched shield or piercing a Champion’s Barrier will cause the target to ignite.
  • Devil’s Ruin
    • Fixed an issue where the firing animation from Devil’s Ruin would get applied to other equipped Sidearms if the weapon was swapped during the firing animation.
  • Gjallarhorn
    • Updated the visuals of Wolfpack Rounds to match the damage type of the weapon. For example:
      • On Gjallarhorn, they will use Solar effects. 
      • On the Royal Entry Void Rocket Launcher buffed by Gjallarhorn, they will have Void effects. 
  • Grand Overture
    • Grand Overture now displays ‘Volley Ready’ instead of ‘Rockets Loaded’ after special reload, to help better indicate when the rockets are primed to fire on trigger pull.
  • Osteo Striga
    • Now has a 4-second cooldown on the poison burst on kills. (Poison burst from sustained damage doesn’t receive this cooldown.)
  • The Lament
    • Reduced healing effect by 20%. 
    • While this weapon does inherit the 7% global buff to Swords, we’ve reduced the damage of the high end of the chained heavy attack by 20% from that point.
      • This means combos at lower stacks are less affected by the change than combos at higher stacks. 
  • Deterministic Chaos
    • This weapon is now intrinsically anti-barrier. 
    • The Heavy Metal and Vexadecimal perks have had their locations and behavior swapped.
      • Heavy Metal now causes every 4th bullet to make targets volatile. 
      • Vexadecimal now causes every 16th bullet to also weaken targets. 
  • Divinity
    • Increased the number of shots required to generate the cage by 75% against combatants (PvP unchanged).
  • Ace of Spades
    • Fixed an issue that was causing the Memento Mori sound effect to replay when exiting out of sprint.
  • Edge of Intent
    • Edge of Intent Healing Turret updated to match Speaker’s Sight Healing Turret.
    • Edge of Intent’s alternate weapon action projectile no longer bounces off walls and non-floor geometries.
    • Healing Turret will spawn offset along the tangent of the surface hit.
    • Healing Turret now applies Cure and Restoration. Having the Aspect Touch of Flame equipped improves these effects.
Customization of perks
  • Alacrity
    • Will no longer work in Rumble.
  • Archer’s Gambit
    • Reduced the effect so it can be used on Legendary weapons.
      • Reduced draw time buff from 66% to 60%.
      • Reduced buff duration from 8 to 4 seconds (but it can now stack up to 8 seconds).
  • Grave Robber
    • Will now activate on dealing damage with a powered melee, in addition to standard melee kills.
  • The Fundamentals
    • The Fundamentals now maintains its state across death or respawn.
  • Chain Reaction
    • Branched between Heavy and Special ammo weapons.
      • Special: About 15% smaller AoE size and 20% less damage.
      • Heavy: Same AoE as before and 30% more damage.
  • Eddy Current
    • Now takes 1.5 seconds of sprinting to activate instead of 3 seconds. 
    • Also provides a bonus to handling and a 5% scalar on each stat at base. 
    • Being amplified will immediately activate the perk at its maximum effectiveness.
  • Underdog
    • Instances of Underdog have been replaced with Pulse Monitor.
  • Osmosis and Permeability:
    • These no longer drop off when pulling out a Ghost or similar actions.
    • Now partially refill the weapon’s magazine on activation.
  • Chill Clip
    • Adjusted the number of slow stacks applied based on properties of the weapon.
      • In this case, Rapid-Fire Fusions like Riptide will still require 3 shots to freeze, but slower firing Fusions only require 2.
    • All other archetypes have been un-nerfed and only require 2 shots to freeze.
  • Killing Tally
    • The Killing Tally perk on the original 21% Delirium Machine Gun has been updated to match the version found on random-rolled weapons.
  • High Ground
    • Reworked to provide a stacking damage bonus when getting kills in any context (like Rampage) or instantly granting the maximum amount of stacks when damaging an enemy from the high ground.
    • PvE max bonus increased to a 25% damage bonus, and PvP max increased to 15%.
  • Perks that currently match the player’s equipped subclass have been changed as follows:
    • Osmosis and Tessellation now match the damage type of the equipped grenade.
    • Permeability and Elemental Capacitor now match the damage type of the equipped Super.
  • Deconstruct
    • Now refills from reserves instead of from thin air and should trigger more reliably across weapon types.
  • Headstone
    • Fixed an issue where Headstone used a Stasis positive buff icon for its cooldown status message. Headstone now uses a cooldown icon, similar to other cooldowns.
  • Pugilist
    • Fixed an issue where the melee buff visual effect repeatedly flashed when Pugilist was activated by melee damage-over-time.
  • Dream Work
    • Updated to work with additional weapon archetypes.
  • Precision Instrument
    • Fixed an issue that caused this perk to activate too quickly on burst-fire Linear Fusion Rifles.
  • Heavy Burst Intrinsic
    • Now slightly reduces incoming flinch.
General changes
  • The Wicked Implement Scout Rifle has been moved to the Monument to Lost Lights.
    • Its catalyst will now be available as a random drop via ritual playlist post-match rewards.
  • Updated new drops of Raid Adepts from Crota’s End and Root of Nightmares to have 2 traits in their trait columns.
  • Added Weapon Enhancement to the Raid Adepts from Vow of Disciple and King’s Fall.
  • Collecting base weapon patterns will now provide a boost per weapon set to the chance of getting a third trait in the trait columns on new drops.
    • This can be tracked via new Triumphs in each raid’s respective collection.
  • Memento stack size limit has been increased from 1 to 3.
  • Mementos are no longer tracked in the Inventory tab.
    • Players can now view, track, and apply their collected Mementos within the inspection screen of an enhanced or shaped weapon.
    • Dismantling Faded Mementos will provide +1 Memento to use within the inspection screen.
    • If a player is at the new stack size limited of 3 Mementos, that Memento will not drop again until they are holding less than 3 Mementos.
  • Fixed an issue where Raid Adept Weapons from The Pantheon Triumphs dropped without selected perks. Players will now see these perks applied on those items.
    • At a later date, a fix will be applied to correct bad masterwork or enhanced intrinsic options on these weapons to the intended roll.
    • We recommend players select a Masterwork option that functions on that weapon type to get the stat benefit when upgrading to enhanced.
  • Removed Resonant and Harmonic Alloys.
  • Acquiring an Adept version of a weapon now unlocks Focusing for base version of that weapon.
  • Fixed an issue where anti-Champion mods were causing other weapon perks to fall off.
  • Fixed an issue causing Mindbender’s Ambition to not glow when getting kills.
  • Fixed an issue where the intensity on some damage screen effects and various projectiles could cause potential photosensitivity issues.
Sparrows
  • Adjusted the Alpine Dash Sparrow to have available speed options similar to other Sparrows and made the auto-reloading perk always available.
    • In the spirit of the original Sparrow upgrade progression from 2019, the side-to-side boost perk is only available during the Dawning.
Triumphs
  • Added Strand fireteam Triumphs to all previous raids.
    • These are not required for Seal or title but provide an additional optional challenge for all interested fireteams.
General
  • The Tower’s weapons vendor, Banshee-44, will now reset his weapons and their perks at the same time along with all other vendors at 10 AM PT.
  • Fixed an issue where the tutorial prompt teaching players how to summon their Sparrow wasn’t always appearing.
  • Fixed an issue where the shader library order in the Appearance Customization did not match the layout in other screens.
  • Fixed an issue where the header for Ascendant Alloys did not match the format of other items in Special Orders.
  • Fixed an issue where Paraversal Haul did not appear in Collections.
  • Fixed an issue where the Bonus Objective progress bar could overlap with status effects UI.
  • Fixed an issue where several emotes were not properly sorted with their associated quality level when viewed in the emote selection screen.
  • Fixed an issue where the Season of the Dawn icon was not properly applied to items acquired from the Season of the Dawn Flashback offer.
  • Fixed an issue where previewing associated Exotic weapon ornaments whose Pattern has been unlocked showed as Unacquired rather than Craftable in the Eververse.
  • Fixed an issue where the Season Pass messaging did not note that a 20% XP bonus is unlocked alongside the Exotic weapon when the premium track is unlocked.

What are the coolest QoL changes? One of the best changes aimed at making your Guardian’s life easier is the visual representation of buffs, debuffs, and perks that are currently active. These are now displayed over your Super meter.

They show you the duration, the icon, and their name, and even blink in front of you. This change is meant to make it easier to figure out what is currently active in your build. This can be particularly useful in raids and dungeons.

What do you think about the changes? Has Bungie been able to make many adjustments or do you miss a change you would have liked to see? Feel free to take part in our survey and let us know who the coolest character in all of Destiny is: Destiny: Who is the coolest character in the universe? You have the choice

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. bungie.net

NoWay exposes a LoL streamer at Riot for doing something that ruins your fun

League of Legends has many problems. Professionals and players from high ranks sometimes play with so-called smurf accounts to have an easy game. The German streamer NoWay has had enough of this and speaks out publicly against another streamer.

Editor’s note: In an earlier version of the article, it was misleadingly stated that smurf accounts are banned. They are not inherently banned, only in the specific case described by Riot.

What happened? On X, the German streamer NoWay posted how it is even possible that TF Blade, a streamer and former LoL pro who has reached rank 1 in LoL multiple times, is playing on an Iron account. He also posts the match history, which clearly shows that he does not belong there. He always has double-digit kills and at most a single death.

Additionally, NoWay posts a picture of the new ranked guidelines from four weeks ago. Riot writes:

Nevertheless, we value the integrity of the ranking system very highly. So if you are a player who wants to create a new account to have fun beating low-ranked players, we want to be able to recognize this and ban your account.

Riot on smurf accounts

Essentially, it is not banned to have a second account or even a smurf account; however, if one intentionally loses or buys an account to play in lower ranks, Riot wants to take action against this.

Why do players do this? On the one hand, you can make streams or videos showing how good you are and how strongly you dominate in matches. On the other hand, there are also high-elo players who bring accounts to high ranks in order to sell them.

Smurfs have always been a big problem in LoL, which is why Riot regularly tries to combat this: LoL adopts the best change from Dota 2 in recent years, wants to ban annoying teammates

This gentleman also wants to take action against smurfs:

Start video
A 67-year-old grandfather becomes a legend in LoL and a nightmare for Riot Games

The community does not believe Riot will take action

On Reddit, NoWay’s tweet is discussed. Users like CinderrUwU are glad that finally a big streamer is saying something against such smurfs, and he hopes TF Blade will receive a punishment for it. Other users are not very hopeful and believe that Riot will do nothing against these smurfs:

  • xthelord2: Given how Riot treats content creators, nothing will happen and maybe a slap on the wrist will follow

Other players, however, criticize NoWay himself, as he has also played on fresh accounts for his A to Z project. The user le_Pumboi counters that NoWay received special accounts from Riot for such projects.

According to Acrobatic_Ad1311, NoWay asked Riot for a high-MMR account because he would hate smurfs himself.

Smurfs are not only a big problem in League of Legends. Taking action against them is a difficult undertaking, especially since Riot also benefits from such content creators. Whether TF Blade will face consequences for his smurf account is currently unknown. What do you think about this? Do you think it’s good that larger streamers are also speaking out against smurfs? Let us know in the comments. More from NoWay can be found here: NoWay creates tier list of all German Twitch streamers based on gaming skill

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: Strong new feature surprisingly appeared with first trainers – “This is huge!”

In Pokémon GO, the first trainers are reporting a change to a feature that could lead to a massive improvement. We explain what it’s all about.

What kind of feature is it? The feature that is currently being found in a different form in the game by some trainers is Team Play. With this feature, you can play with your friends and benefit together.

After a recent discovery suggested a massive improvement for Team Play, it seems that this is now being tested by the first trainers. And this could mean a massive upgrade for Team Play.

Start video
Heavenly teamwork in Pokémon GO – a new season begins

One item, 4 beneficiaries

What kind of change is it? The change allows the use of the items Incense, Lucky Egg, and Star Piece in Team Play. As indicated in the discovery, the entire group can partially benefit from these items.

In the post on Reddit, the creator shows a corresponding screenshot of their Team Play overview, where one of the items can be selected and shared with the group.

If he wants to use the feature, an error message currently appears for him. It seems that the feature is not yet fully developed, which matches the fact that it is currently active only for a portion of trainers and not globally.

We are linking the corresponding Reddit post here for you:

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Link to the Reddit content

When will the feature be globally available? When the function will be activated for all trainers worldwide is currently unknown. The usual procedure for new features in Pokémon GO is to test them in advance with a subset of trainers.

If this test is successfully completed, the new feature will then be distributed globally to all trainers. When and if this will happen here cannot yet be definitively stated. However, it can be assumed due to the fact that the first trainers have already received the feature.

What the implementation, effect, and limitations of this feature will look like in detail cannot yet be definitively stated.

What does Niantic say about it? So far, there has been no statement from Niantic regarding the new function. It has appeared unexpectedly and without announcement among the first trainers.

What does the community say about it? A large part of the comments under the post are positive, although there are also a few critical voices.

  • That’s amazing, a trainer expresses on Reddit
  • This is how you encourage people to play together without penalizing solo players. I like it, writes another trainer on Reddit
  • A positive change! It makes me more likely to form groups, which means I walk with a friend and play and explore more. Well done, says another trainer on Reddit
  • This will be very convenient for cheaters who play with multiple accounts, a commentator notes on Reddit

Especially trainers who have not been playing for long or still need a larger amount of experience points, Stardust, or Pokémon could benefit from this feature. It remains to be seen when it will be made available to all trainers worldwide.

What do you think about it? Will this feature also motivate you to play more in groups? Or are you less interested in this function? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. If you want to know what to expect in the game in the near future, take a look at our overview of the events in June 2024 in Pokémon GO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: All regional Pokémon and where to catch them – Status 2024

Tauros, Tropius, and Kangaskhan are among the very special regional monsters in Pokémon GO. Because you won’t find them everywhere in the world. We show you where to catch all regional Pokémon.

Why do people search for regional Pokémon? The biggest challenge in Pokémon GO is completing your PokéDex. This means you should have caught every Pokémon available in the game at least once. Some monsters can only be found in specific places around the world. For example, to stumble upon a Tauros in the wild, you must be traveling in North America as a trainer.

In this overview, we show you all regional Pokémon and explain where you can find them. While these may not be the best attackers in Pokémon GO, they are definitely eye-catchers in your collection.

Map with Regional Pokémon – Map with Catch Areas

On the following map, you can see the catch locations of the various regional monsters clearly displayed. The graphic comes from reddit user icedragonus23 (via reddit) and Twitter user Hourderhexen (via Twitter). However, it does not include the newest regional Pokémon. We list those for you below.

Pokemon-GO-Regional-Map

Regional Pokémon of the 1st Generation

Where can you find Tauros, Kangaskhan, Pantimos, or Porenta? These first-generation Pokémon have previously appeared multiple times from 7 km eggs. Otherwise, they are found in the following locations:

  • Tauros – North America
    • Most of the USA, southern Canada, and parts of northern Mexico
  • Kangaskhan – Australia
    • Only in Australia. New Zealand and the South Sea do not have Kangaskhan
  • Pantimos – Europe
    • You can find Pantimos throughout Europe, the only exception being the northern parts of Norway and Finland
  • Porenta – Asia
    • Porenta appears particularly frequently in South Korea and Japan, but also in Taiwan and Hong Kong

All these Pokémon can also be caught as shiny.

Pokémon Porenta

Regional Pokémon of the 2nd Generation

Where can you find Skaraborn and Corasonn? Corasonn had already appeared during and shortly after the Safari Zone in Dortmund, where it was catchable worldwide.

  • Skaraborn – Latin America, South Florida, and Texas
    • Skaraborn can be found throughout South America, in the Caribbean and Central America. The south of Florida and Texas also have Skaraborn
  • Corasonn – Near the equator
    • This includes South Florida, Latin America, South Asia, Northern Australia, and even the Canary Islands
Pokémon GO Corasonn

Regional Pokémon of the 3rd Generation

Where can you find Relicanth, Illumise, Volbeat, Sengo, Vipitis, Sonnfel, Lunastein, Qurtel, and Tropius? These 3rd generation Pokémon are widely spread. We show you where you can find them:

  • Relicanth – New Zealand and surrounding areas like Fiji
    • Only a very small area. Australia does not have Relicanth spawns
  • Illumise – North America, South America, Africa
  • Volbeat – Currently in Europe, Asia, Australasia
  • Sengo – Europe, Asia, Australasia
  • Vipitis – North America, South America, Africa
    • Sengo and Vipitis are natural enemies and never appear on the same continent
  • Sonnfel – Currently in Europe, Asia, Australasia
  • Lunastein – Currently in North America, South America, Africa
    • Lunastein and Sonnfel have frequently changed regions
  • Qurtel – South Asia, India
    • This includes India and other countries in South Asia
  • Tropius – Africa and the Middle East
    • You can also find Tropius on the Canary Islands and in southern Spain around the region of Malaga
More on the topic
Sonnfel und Lunastein zählen zu den besonderen Monstern in Pokémon GO
von Patrick Freese

Regional Pokémon of the 4th Generation

Where can you find Pachirisu, Schalellos, Plaudagei, Venuflibis, Selfe, Tobutz, and Vesprit? The 4th generation also brings legendary Pokémon only in certain regions. In addition, there are a few more monsters:

  • Pantimimi – In Europe from 5 km eggs
  • Pachirisu – Alaska, Canada, and northeastern Russia
  • Plaudagei – Southern Hemisphere
    • This includes South America, southern Africa, and Oceania
  • Venuflibis – In the southeast of the USA
    • States like Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana report Venuflibis
  • Schalellos – separated by eastern and western hemispheres
    • The pink Schalellos can be found from west of England to America. The blue Schalellos is found from east of England to Japan and Australia
  • Tobutz – North and South America as well as Greenland
  • Selfe – Asia-Pacific
  • Vesprit – Europe, Middle East, Africa, India
Map Seen Trio
Here are the regions of the Lake Trio. Source: Couple of Gaming

Regional Pokémon of the 5th Generation

Where can you find Vegimak, Sodamak, Grillmak, Furnifraß, and Fermicula? With the first wave of the 5th generation, some regional Pokémon also came into play. So there are:

  • Vegimak – Asia-Pacific
  • Sodamak – North and South America and Greenland
  • Grillmak – Europe, Middle East, Africa, India
    • The three monkey Pokémon can be found in the same regions as the lake trio Selfe, Tobutz, and Vesprit
  • Furnifraß – Eastern Hemisphere
  • Fermicula – Western Hemisphere
    • The boundaries are also defined the same way as with the two forms of Schalellos
  • Symvolara – Egypt, Greece, Israel
  • Jiutesto – North America, South America, Africa
  • Karadonis – Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East
  • Barschuft (red) – Eastern Hemisphere
  • Barschuft (blue) – Western Hemisphere
  • Maracamba – Central America, South America, Caribbean
  • Bisofank – New York, Boston, Philadelphia
Affen trio

Looking for regional Pokémon? With the trading feature in Pokémon GO, you can get them without traveling.

Before we show you the regional Pokémon of the 6th generation, we have an exciting video with the best attackers for you. Are you using them? Below the video continues with regional Pokémon.

Start video
Pokémon GO: The strongest attackers of all types in the video

Regional Pokémon of the 6th Generation

Which regional Pokémon from the 6th generation are there?

  • Flabébé (Red-bloom) – to be caught in Europe, Middle East, and Africa
  • Flabébé (Blue-bloom) – to be caught in the Asia-Pacific region
  • Flabébé (Yellow-bloom) – to be caught on the American continent
  • Flabébé with white flower and Flabébé with orange flower can be caught worldwide
  • Vivillon is a regional Pokémon due to its different forms
  • Resladero – to be caught in Mexico
  • Clavion – France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany
  • Coiffwaff
    • Worldwide: Normal form
    • Europe, Africa, Middle East: Diamond Cut
    • America: Miss Cut
    • Asia-Pacific: Star Cut
    • France: Queen Cut
    • Japan: Kabuki Cut
    • Egypt: Ruler Cut

Regional Pokémon of the 7th Generation

Which regional Pokémon from the 7th generation are there? Gradually, individual regional Pokémon from the 7th generation are finding their way into the game.

  • Curelei can be found in Hawaii
  • Choreogel can be found in its various forms. Currently, trainers are still researching where exactly they appear. The results so far are:
    • Hula style – Africa, Asia, Pacific, Caribbean Islands (partly also Australia)
    • Buyo style – Asia-Pacific
    • Cheerleading style – America
    • Flamenco style – Europe, Middle East, Africa
  • Kaguron – Southern Hemisphere
  • Katagami – Northern Hemisphere

With this overview, we keep you up to date on where you can catch which regional Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Keep in mind that new forms are regularly released that you can find. We will update the article and refresh it for a new date.

Other special Pokémon are the Alolan forms. List of all Alolan forms – Here you can find them in Pokémon GO

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Popular YouTuber for MMORPGs explains why Ashes of Creation might suddenly have died for him

The YouTuber and streamer Entenburg, specializing in MMORPGs, recently published an exciting video on his second channel Entenburch, in which he criticizes a mechanic of the great genre hope Ashes of Creation that could have a very negative impact on the player experience.

What does Entenburg criticize about AoC? In the latest developer video of Ashes of Creation, extensive gameplay from a so-called “Node War” was shown for the first time, meaning a war between the citizens of two nodes scattered throughout the MMORPG’s game world.

In the mass skirmishes, the genre expert noticed an important detail that had already been communicated before, but whose effects on the practical player experience have only now become clear. It’s about the way Ashes of Creation processes the damage dealt to characters in PvP battles.

In PvP, the MMORPG divides health bars into four blocks, each representing 25 percent of total health. Damage done to an opponent only affects their health bar when you manage to take away a full 25 percent of a block.

At that moment, their life shifts instantly from 100 to 75, from 75 to 50, from 50 to 25, or from 25 to zero percent. If you stop attacking at, for example, 76 percent health, your opponent’s bar will continue to show the full 100 percent.

Here you can watch the video by Entenburg:

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What are the implications? In the video, Entenburg shows various gameplay scenes that illustrate the negative consequences this system brings:

  • Caught damage that directly affects the health bars is an important part of visual feedback in combat.
  • Without this feedback, fights can potentially feel unsatisfying and frustrating. Especially classes that rely on over-time damage effects or slowly ticking area spells may often feel like the fifth wheel.
  • Additionally, the foundation needed to make the right decisions in PvP situations is missing. Choices such as: Can a relatively weak instant attack take down the opponent, or does it need to be a channelled spell that deals significantly more damage, but carries the risk of the victim escaping or healing?
  • As an attacker in PvP, one never knows exactly how effective their abilities are in combat and how far the opponent is from losing one of their health blocks after the initial attacks.
  • In Ashes of Creation, the problem is even worse, as the MMORPG places a strong focus on PvP situations in the open world, where many players encounter each other (Node Wars, sieges, caravan attacks).
  • An experienced veteran may only need the raw damage numbers in duels to get a sense of the opponent’s condition. However, in a crowd of ten, twenty, thirty, or more characters, that is completely forgotten.
  • Classes like the fragile rogue usually have only one goal in mass battles: to quickly finish off heavily injured opponents who have retreated to a weakly protected flank and then disappear again. This will not be possible in Ashes of Creation, making these playstyles useless for a significant part of the MMORPG’s content.

Until now, Entenburg had been very excited about Ashes of Creation. However, with this system in mind, the YouTuber can no longer imagine having lasting fun with the MMORPG’s PvP. And since PvP is an essential part of Ashes of Creation, the anticipation for the game has taken a significant hit.

Open-PvP is also omnipresent in the caravans of Ashes of Creation:

Start video
Ashes of Creation – Caravan Gameplay

What do developers and supporters say?

Is there an official reason for the system? In a livestream, Creative Director Steven Sharif addressed this issue.

If you target another player and that player is not a member of your guild, alliance, raid, or party – those are the four affiliation factors – if they are not part of those four groups, you will have no specific information about their HP level. You will have quarter-accurate information on the level, and you might be able to break it down a little further, maybe to sixths or eighths. However, you will not have exact information on how many hit points the opponent has available.

This degree of obscurity protects engagement a bit, the TTK interaction (Note from the editorial team: TTK stands for time to kill, so the time it takes to take down an opponent). You could potentially overshoot if you don’t know whether they have only 20 or 25 percent hit points left. I think that’s a very healthy thing in PvP, but it’s not a normal game mechanic.

Steven Sharif via Youtube

How are viewers reacting to the criticism? This point divides the community. Many MMORPG fans under the YouTube video or on Entenburg’s Discord channel share the criticism and hope that enough feedback will accumulate throughout the alpha to overturn the system.

However, there are also many viewers who like AoC’s system and highlight the positive effects from their perspective. Two points are particularly often mentioned:

  • The protection against high-level griefers who specialize in attacking low-level players struggling with AI opponents until they are almost dead, allowing the monster to finish them off so they don’t receive a punishing corruption debuff.
  • The system introduces an unknown factor that can make PvP situations more interesting and exciting.

Entenburg’s final statement: We had a short exchange with the MMORPG expert to get his assessment of the discussion sparked under his video. He sees the protection against griefers as a good point, even though the system offers a “comfortable solution” that brings many other problems with it.

The comments, according to Entenburg, beautifully show that many MMORPG fans who are currently excited about Ashes of Creation have not yet realized how much focus the game places on PvP. Or how far-reaching it can be when such a system works against the identities of certain classes.

Furthermore, Entenburg adds, some MMORPG enthusiasts have a strong defensive reflex whenever the game they are greatly looking forward to is criticized. It’s less about understandable arguments and more about protecting their emotional investment in the project.

How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz evaluate the criticism raised by Entenburg? I also do not like AoC’s health system in PvP. Maybe it’s because I almost always play agile melee fighters in MMORPGs, who can take little damage but deal a lot.

If I imagine that the AoC system had been in the old WoW battles at the crossroads or between Tarren Mill and Southshore … the fun of playing my rogue would probably have been zero.

If this remains the case, many players who have chosen the wrong classes are likely to bite into the edge of the table in frustration after the first PvP battles. Moreover, we are likely to quickly see almost only archetypes that can unleash high burst damage in a short period.

In short: Like Entenburg, I also hope that the developers of Ashes of Creation will adjust this system. What do you think? More information about the MMORPG from Intrepid Studios: Everything about the new MMORPG Ashes of Creation – release, classes, gameplay, and nodes

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Parents send their child a completely new gaming PC, but forget the packaging during shipping

A user receives a gaming PC as a gift from his parents. This may not seem unusual at first, but the packaging is a different story. Because it is almost entirely missing.

Gaming PCs and their components are fragile devices that need to be handled carefully. However, a gamer is now reporting how his parents wanted to send him a gaming PC as a gift. On Reddit, he posts a picture of the package that arrived and says the computer arrived “almost unprotected.” Accordingly, the gaming system looks the part as the glass front is completely shattered.

Nonetheless, the user is lucky in his misfortune, as he states that the computer still starts up without any issues and the package also arrived with insurance. Therefore, there is a chance that he will receive a new case or at least a replacement door for his case.

A special transport disaster had to be experienced by a French citizen:

More on the topic
User buys gaming system, but PC looks like it was run over by a truck: “This has never happened to me”
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Check the hardware: However, some users warn him not to be so sure about it. Someone explains that he urgently needs to disassemble the hardware from the case and should rather test the components. Because only then will he know if certain components have actually been damaged:

Maybe you will be lucky and the components are fine. But you definitely have to disassemble everything and completely clean the case… the painful part is that you will likely have to contact CM [CoolerMaster] and you might get a replacement door from them, but it would be a big hassle to put everything back into a broken case just to find out that the PC is broken anyway.

Best not to accept a damaged package

Do not accept a damaged box: If you order a computer or any items, you should pay attention to the condition of the shipping box. If this box is already in a disastrous condition, you should refuse to accept it.

Even though such a rejection has become more difficult nowadays: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many service providers have started to ring the bell once and then leave the package in front of the door. This is not without problems: Because with your signature, you confirm that the package arrived in perfect condition.

In general, explains, for instance, the Consumer Advice Center:

  • If the product in the box has suffered damage, you can report it to your carrier within seven days of receipt. This would be DHL, UPS, Hermes, or whoever shipped your package.
  • If you notice any damage, you must report it to the sender within seven days so that they can file a claim with the carrier. The carrier is responsible for safe transport.
  • If the package is lost, you must contact the retailer or sender. Because they bear the transport risk in principle and are obligated to refund the purchase price.

Such broken packages are, by the way, no longer a rarity. Just recently a user showed his “delivery” – and it quickly became a meme on the internet: User buys gaming system, but PC looks like it has been run over by a truck: “This has never happened to me before”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Dead by Daylight brings grandiose DLC – simultaneously releasing 95 employees

The latest DLC of Dead by Daylight is live. But many employees may not be happy about it – they were laid off.

In Dead by Daylight, the new chapter “Dungeons & Dragons” has been released. This brings truly fantastic creatures into the realm of the Entity for the first time. The lich Vecna is now available as a killer, and those who wish can even take on the role of an elven bard to face the new killer.

Along with this, there is also a new map and a whole new mechanic of dice rolls. But there are also massive layoffs, as a total of 95 employees had to pack their things at Behaviour.

Start video
Dead by Daylight: Dungeons & Dragons brings the wicked lich Vecna

This is what’s included in the new DLC: The new DLC costs 7 euros (Steam) and brings the new killer Vecna from the universe of Dungeons & Dragons. Many may already know Vecna from “Stranger Things” – although it is a similar creature, the creature in Dead by Daylight is based on the D&D template. So, it is a lich with magical powers and one of the greatest villains from the D&D universe.

Vecna possesses several spells and comes with a classic dungeon as a map.

We have introduced Vecna, his abilities, and the perks of the survivors in more detail here.

The DLC “Dungeons & Dragons” is regarded by many in the community as one of the best DLCs to date. Not only is Vecna as a wizard a really cool killer, but also interesting mechanics like the boxes with the dice or special enchanted items make the matches with and against him particularly interesting. It is therefore surprising for many that Behaviour is apparently laying off several employees at such a peak.

DbD Vecna Promo
Vecna now makes the realms of mist uneasy.

Which employees were laid off? Especially the community team speaks of “great losses” that must be accepted. This would significantly slow down the team, and the community should expect that things will now proceed “much slower” because with so few people, the same work cannot be accomplished.

What reasons did Behaviour cite? According to Behaviour, the reasons for the layoffs are that they now want to focus more on their “historical strengths” and due to “unprecedented competition” they would have to make “several strategic decisions” (via ign.com).

Behaviour has grown from 575 employees to 1,300 in recent years – now this number is shrinking again.

For many in the community, especially the argument about “unprecedented competition” seems a bit odd. Because most are sure that at least Dead by Daylight has no real competition and represents almost the genre’s alpha – and has done so for years. The only game that ever had a real chance was Friday the 13th The Game – which was prematurely shut down due to copyright disputes.

However, Behaviour also states that the development of Dead by Daylight will not be affected by the layoffs.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Amazon announces it will adapt one of the best RPGs and I am already more excited than with Arcane

Video game adaptations no longer have the bad reputation they had years ago. Fallout, The Last of Us, and Super Mario have demonstrated that playable material can be successfully translated to television and the big screen. Now, a series from SEGA has been announced, and MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes couldn’t be happier.

Nowadays, I am actually looking forward to video game adaptations. Recently, Fallout has shown that it works really well. The latest announced Amazon series makes me really happy, because as RGG Studio announced on x.com, a series about Yakuza is coming. Or rather, Like A Dragon, which is set to be released on October 24, 2024. A film based on the first installment of the games was already released in 2007.

What is Yakuza anyway? The game series from SEGA started in 2005 on the PS2 and continues to receive new installments even today. Until the seventh part, it was a mix between a beat ’em up and an RPG, featuring many mechanics from both genres.

The story is the major highlight, as the main quest is a typically Japanese melodrama that takes itself far too seriously and tells a modern mafia story set in Japan. In the side quests, however, it is the exact opposite. There are karaoke, dance battles, or Animal Crossing-style mini-games.

Start video
Yakuza Kiwami – Trailer for the role-playing game about the Japanese Mafia

A mix of melodrama and absurdity

Why do I love the series so much? It is this absurd mix that somehow fits together and can only come from Japan. The serious mafia story works just as well as the big nonsense surrounding it. There are countless mini-games and gameplay mechanics that can keep you entertained in the Japanese city.

As @Genki_JPN reported on x.com, the series is to be directed by Taka Masaharu. He has previously worked on absurd series like The Naked Director. The choice of the lead actor also seems perfect, as it is Takeuchi Ryoma, who has already appeared in a Kamen Rider series. Kamen Rider can be most closely compared to Power Rangers, a genre that is very popular in Japan.

In my opinion, this is a good choice, as the director seems to be someone who can create great absurdity, and Kamen Rider series take themselves so seriously that it creates a certain humor. Both fit perfectly with Yakuza.

I hope the series manages to combine both components. The mafia genre has a strong tradition in Japan, with names like Takeshi Kitano, so I have fewer worries about that.

Integrating the side stories appropriately will be a bigger challenge, as finding the right balance will be difficult. Nevertheless, I am even more excited for Yakuza than for Arcane, because the atmosphere of the games can only be found there, and through such a series, more people can enjoy the franchise.

Objectively, it probably won’t be better than Arcane, but for me, it will be a very personal series that could perfectly match my taste.

The series is set to be released in 6 episodes and will tell a story separate from the games. The episodes will be released in groups of three on October 24, 2024, and November 1, 2024. If anyone wants to try the series by then, almost all parts can be found on PC, PS5, and Xbox. It’s even available on Game Pass. You can find another video game adaptation on Amazon here: A new series on Amazon is the next good video game adaptation – it’s a mix of Fallout and Mad Max

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

LoL is getting bigger – Now one of the world’s biggest fantasy authors is joining in

The 2nd league in North America is struggling in League of Legends. Fewer and fewer viewers are being attracted, which can cause issues for sponsors and the youth scene. However, a new sponsor for a team could bring a revival. It is a well-known fantasy author.

What is the problem with the 2nd league? North America has a harder time compared to other countries. This is particularly true for the 2nd league, the NACL. Last year, there were already issues, as many pros from NA went on strike due to a rule change.

This results from the problem that the NACL attracts fewer viewers, leading to fewer sponsors and, in the long term, a big problem with the youth scene, as there are fewer opportunities to train talent without the NACL. This is already evident in the fact that many LCS teams rely on import players. (via. Dot Esports)

Riot wants to change this, and one possibility would be sponsors. The first team has now even announced their new sponsor, and it is a well-known fantasy author.

Start video
LoL: Chinese pro streams after bitter defeat – Wants people to roast him

The partnership is supposed to save the NACL

The Maryville Esports team announced on X that they are entering into a partnership with DragonsteelBook. The company belongs to Brandon Sanderson, a well-known fantasy author who has written successful series like Mistborn. The partnership starts with the next Summer Split of the NACL.

Travis Gafford revealed some background about this on YouTube. He established contact between Riot and DragonsteelBook. He says that Riot wants to make it easier for NACL teams to form partnerships with cool companies. According to Gafford, the partnership fits perfectly, as Sanderson is himself a big gaming fan, and the team in Maryville consists of fans of his work.

What exactly the partnership will look like is still unclear; many fans under the Maryville post seem to be responding positively.

  • @dillonpomeroy: This is wild, very sick. I am excited to see more
  • @juv3nileow: Okay, this is one of the coolest crossovers for me, I am a big Brandon Sanderson fan
  • @CarlosIvanYT: I just started reading Stormlight Archive, this is insane

When asked if Dragonsteel jerseys will come, the official account only replied: soon.

Such sponsors can really pay off, as you receive money, can tap into a new audience, and generate a lot of attention through jerseys and other crossovers.

It is currently unknown if other teams have such sponsorships. However, if Riot’s efforts bear fruit, there could be more to come. The Korean league has hardly any such problems, as they have the big icons of the scene: LoL stages a 28-year-old who doesn’t say a word as an epic hero

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Well-known tech YouTuber explains why he cannot recommend the new ASUS ROG Ally X to anyone

With the ROG Ally X, ASUS has introduced the successor to its popular handheld device. Linus Tech Tips has already had a look at the model, but his enthusiasm is rather subdued. And it is not due to the good performance.

Linus Sebastian, with his channel Linus Tech Tips, is one of the most well-known YouTubers in the tech sector. In a recently released video, he was able to try out the new gaming handheld from ASUS, the Rog Ally X. This is the official successor to the ROG Ally, which we rank among the best gaming handhelds.

However, Linus does not want to endorse the new handheld from ASUS. And that’s despite the fact that he believes that compared to its predecessor, everything has only improved.

What does Linus say about the Ally X? The first impressions are very positive. ASUS, according to Linus, has thoroughly revised the device and addressed many of the criticisms of the old model. Better battery life, better ergonomics, and new, modern ports such as USB-4 or an additional USB-C port. This makes the new Ally X outperform its predecessor in every area.

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Linus accuses ASUS of lacking transparency with the old model

Why can he not recommend the device despite this? Starting at minute 10:20 in his video, Linus addresses the issues with the device’s SD card slot. Regarding the ROG Ally X, Linus explains that ASUS has repositioned the card reader. However, there is a much more extensive problem behind it:

  • Shortly after the release of the ROG Ally, some buyers discovered that the SD card readers tend to fail and could potentially damage the SD cards.
  • In July 2023, ASUS confirmed the problem with the SD card reader and pointed out that it might be a temperature issue.
  • However, ASUS has allegedly never officially solved the problem, as reported by colleagues from TheVerge.

In his video, Linus further discusses the problems and criticism, stating quite clearly that he had wished for “more transparency” from ASUS and would continue to wish for it in the future. Officially, no one really knows how many Ally devices ended up being affected or still are.

According to Linus, ASUS has never been very productive in dealing with criticism or problems. If the manufacturer really cared, ASUS should either “recall [the models] or handle it preventively.” He explains in detail:

And until this matter is resolved and ASUS has shown that it can be trusted again, it doesn’t matter how much I like the ROG Ally X. (…) Even if I personally would buy one, I am unable to recommend it, even though I would really like to.

And this is not the first time ASUS has faced criticism.

ASUS is not facing criticism from gamers and YouTubers for the first time

Recently, the tech YouTuber Gamers Nexus tested ASUS customer support and suddenly had to pay hundreds of euros for a repair. His opinion on the customer support was devastating, stating: “ASUS’s warranty service is absolute garbage based on our experience.”

In this context, ASUS at least stated that it wanted to get to the bottom of the problems and investigate complaints from other players. ASUS promised improvements and wanted to address the mentioned problems.

However, the reputation among many players has been significantly damaged with the recent actions. For this reason, Linus’s opinion is rather subdued. And the problems apparently seem not to be isolated cases, as Gamers Nexus discovered: Tech YouTuber complains about customer service – Receives countless responses from viewers with the same problem.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Expert explains why an item in Diablo 4 makes you absurdly strong right now, turns minions into Uber bosses

A new item from Season 4 makes some builds in Diablo 4 incredibly strong. The reason is not the item itself, but your minions, as the expert MacroBioBoi explains. More specifically: An elixir that actually only provides a small buff. But because minions work the way they do, they are as strong as bosses right now. Literally.

What is this item?

  • The Elixir of Sacred Bolts is one of the changes from Season 4. When you drink it, you receive +6% experience for 15 minutes, and when you kill enemies, they fire these sacred bolts.
  • You can only obtain the elixir in the seasonal realm; it is one of the few changes that do not apply to the whole game. If you cannot find it in Hell Tides, you can simply craft the elixir at the alchemist.
  • The effect of the elixir is triggered both when you kill an enemy and when your minions do the killing. And this is where there is currently a strange interaction.

Why is the elixir so strong? MacroBioBoi explains that minions in Diablo 4 work in a pretty specific way: they are counted as “monsters” by the game (via YouTube). This means specifically that they match the level of the content you are currently tackling:

  • If you are simply wandering around in the open world, minions are at your level.
  • In Hell Tides, they would be 3 levels above you.
  • If you are in Nightmare Dungeons or the Pit, the minions have the level of the enemies.
  • Against tortured Uber bosses, minions scale exactly as Duriel, Andariel, and co. would.

Currently, minion necromancers are extremely popular and strong and rely on massive amounts of skeletons. When the companions trigger the Elixir of Sacred Bolts, not only do the multipliers for minions (and potentially your own) come into play, but also those for their monster level.

This means that your skeletons and co. fire bolts that can one-shot almost anything when they kill a monster – including the actually very tough Uber bosses themselves.

Start video
Diablo 4 Season 4 “Loot Reborn” in the gameplay trailer

“I think this is garbage”

The elixir is thereby stronger for the corresponding builds than almost any legendary aspect and stronger than most Uber Uniques. This results in two problems:

  • The effects only work under ideal circumstances, which are often not present.
  • Since it is not you or your build dealing the damage, the results are enormously inconsistent.

According to MacroBioBoi, you can only one-shot certain bosses this way. Namely those that summon a sufficient number of additional weaker enemies (“adds”).

You should not touch these adds; your minions must kill them. Only then will these pumped-up bolts be fired with absurd multipliers. Uber Lilith, for example, the currently most challenging fight in the game, cannot be defeated this way.

The issue with the absurd minions has existed before, as MacroBioBoi explains. It was possible to drive thorn damage to unimaginable heights. However, he did not want to test that because it would be too boring. The expert states:

I am not calling for a nerf. Let’s just say the season mechanic is sacred bolts. And we then invest all our time to fish for bosses in the pit that have a certain number of adds. And then you can only play the builds that are broken and absurdly scale. All others have to accept that their build is garbage…

I don’t know if you can hear the sarcasm in this, but I would hate for that to happen. It would be better if the elixir were completely removed from the game.

All the good changes like crafting and the new itemization are being nullified by this small variable. Only sacred bolts matter anymore. The whole thing is a huge problem.

However, you should not feel ashamed to use the elixir. After all, it is part of the game. Just don’t be surprised if there is a fix and you suddenly find yourself dealing no damage, MacroBioBoi says.

As of now, there is no information on whether the Elixir of Sacred Bolts will change during the course of the season. According to MacroBioBoi, even the high levels in the pit are only possible right now if you use the elixir. And even that is not enough: “Is this possible without cheats?” – New endgame content is so tough that even experts can’t handle it

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: Server Down for “The Final Shape” is over – All info in the overview

In Destiny 2 launches “The Final Shape” on June 4th, but before the final DLC can begin, Bungie is shutting down its servers for a mega downtime. What you should know about the downtimes and server status can be found here with us.

Wednesday, 06/05/2024

00:18

So far, the servers are still unstable. Sometimes you get kicked from the missions and error codes pop up here and there. We would like to end the live ticker here and wish you a good night. If there are issues again early today, we will keep you updated in the ticker. Until then!

Tuesday, 06/04/2024

23:10

Bungie is still working on fixing the problem, but so far it doesn’t look good. You will not receive a new update on the server status for another 2 hours. We will provide a new update in the next hour.

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22:22

We will check in again in an hour regarding the server status. As it looks, some players can access the servers while others get kicked after a few minutes. We will keep you updated!

21:30

After countless attempts, we were able to log in again and hopefully it stays that way. However, Bungie has not disclosed anything regarding maintenance.

21:09

The background maintenance has now been extended and Bungie will provide an update on the situation in the next 2 hours. We will keep you posted.

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20:55

Although the login is currently stagnating, I found a joke from a user on X (formerly Twitter) that might make you smile:

  • “Do we need to wish the crow to the other side of the servers to let us in?”

Short update from us, also multiple restarts have not changed anything. The servers are just blocked.

20:45

Bungie has now also revealed the German version of the patch notes. You can read it in the meantime while Bungie’s servers are down: Patch Notes for Update 8.0.0.1 (DE)

20:34

We have restarted our consoles again and still cannot get in. Bungie does not grant us access. It seems they have allied with the Witness and are thwarting our plans.

20:28

Bungie has now officially called on all platforms and consoles to restart to resolve the login issues.

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20:17

My attempts to log in are failing. Every time the error message appears that Bungie’s servers are unavailable. Maybe the team is currently working on a bug and therefore not allowing new Guardians to log in.

20:04

Now I was kicked from the servers by Bungie with the new error message “watercress”. Never seen it before, but now I have to queue again.

20:01

For everyone who is currently waiting for the login, there apparently is no update that you need to download afterwards. You just have to hope that Bungie lets you in. I got in and saw everything for the Titan, wanted to switch my Guardian, and now I’m stuck on the loading screen and I’m afraid to restart Destiny 2. I guess I’m now trapped in the void with my Guardians.

19:50

We logged in and were welcomed with thrilling and cinematic footage from Destiny 2. I had goosebumps for 3 continuous minutes. After the video, we can now choose which campaign we want to select.

Destiny-2-final-shape-Campaign

Bungie is still working on the issues reported by Guardians during the background maintenance. This includes login difficulties and queues. (via x.com)

19:34

We made it in! As our user Vinc suggested, you should restart your console or Steam to log in.

19:25

Still waiting for the update from Bungie. Many fans are already joking under Bungie’s tweet that they are only waiting for the message that the downtime will be unexpectedly extended (via x.com). We are also sweating while waiting for the start, but so far it doesn’t look good.

19:10

Neither servers nor a new update are available, but PlayStation is already preparing its shop for Destiny 2. There is a new silver bundle showing off new Titan armor that will likely belong to the new season. Armor is a matter of taste, but I must say, it looks really cool, what do you think?

Destiny-2-Season-Armor-PS5

19:00

As it looks, Bungie still has an update that is being rolled out across all platforms. However, it is not yet available on PS5. Whether this is an actual update or just something in the loading screen is not known. We will keep you updated. (via x.com)

18:43

The Witness has apparently retreated, as Bungie is now addressing the Guardians in Destiny 2. According to them, the login services are limited due to increased network traffic.

We stayed tuned, but then the message from the Witness appeared again. He probably had to go to the bathroom for a moment. Only 17 minutes separate us from “The Final Shape”.

Destiny-2-Server-Down-New-Announcement

18:25

So dear Guardians. The servers should be back online in less than 35 minutes as planned. We are eagerly waiting for the launch and can hardly wait to use Prismatic and get to the Traveler.

Appropriately before the launch, Bungie has now released the patch notes. Unfortunately, these are still in English. We will provide you with the link to the German version as soon as it is active: Patch Notes for Update 8.0.0.1 (EN)

17:30

The Witness is already playing his game with us. Those who log in now will be greeted with a disturbing message in Destiny 2. One way or another, you are on, Witness, whether you like it or not!

Destiny-2-Final-Shape-Loading-Screen

16:55

Already some Guardians see the potential of the healer for the Titan in “The Final Shape”. The Exo “Precious Scars” combined with the solar ulti and the Exo weapon “Red Death” will transform your sturdy fighter into a helpful Guardian.

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16:10

We created a survey for you during the wait where you can vote on which character from Destiny is the coolest. Feel free to participate and share your opinions with other fans:

15:17

Less than 4 hours until the gates to Destiny 2: The Final Shape are opened. Bungie has consequently released two wallpapers during the downtime that you can use for your PC or mobile phone.

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13:29

Bungie has already released the new and complete album for “The Final Shape” on their YouTube account. In it, you will find all the soundtracks of the expansion. (via youtube.com)

12:57

Luke Smith, one of the most recognizable faces of Bungie, left a cryptic message on X (formerly Twitter), speaking about the team’s hope and hope for Destiny. Players believe they can recognize a small hint towards Destiny 3:

https://twitter.com/thislukesmith/status/1797745471521468585

12:10

Bungie already warns you that you better play the story of “The Final Shape” with a fixed group or solo, otherwise you might lose progress. You can find more about this here:

09:40

Good morning, Guardians! The downtime has started and you won’t be able to play Destiny 2 until 7 PM CET. We will summarize the most important information before the start in our live ticker. So stay tuned, because who knows how Bungie’s servers will perform tonight.

If you want to catch up on the story of Destiny 1 & 2 in the meantime, feel free to watch a long video from lore expert Byf.

What you need to know: As with every DLC release, Bungie takes Destiny 2 offline for maintenance. The old servers need new patches before they can withstand the surge of eager Guardians. To ensure this goes smoothly, Bungie announced a long downtime a few days before the release that will be up to 25 hours.

A preload should be available during the server downtime so that Guardians can jump right into the action after maintenance. What you should know about the outages and when they start can be found here. We will be present with a ticker early in the morning of the release and eagerly await the launch of the DLC with you – so be there!

If you missed the launch trailer for The Final Shape, we have the right video for you:

Start video
Destiny 2 shows the launch trailer for The Final Shape

Maintenance on 06/04 – All times for server downtime

These times are important today: Bungie informed its players in Destiny 2 about the upcoming mega downtime, which is expected to last up to 25 hours. If complications arise, the time may be extended.

This is what the schedule for maintenance looks like:

  • The maintenance starts on 06/03 at 18:00 CET
  • The maintenance ends on 06/04 at 19:00 CET in line with the Weekly Reset
    • The preload will be available on all platforms after Destiny 2 is taken offline
This is to be considered during downtimes: During a major server maintenance for a DLC release, connection problems and error codes that kick players from the game often occur. Since a significant influx of players is expected at the release of “The Final Shape”, you should also be prepared for waiting times when logging in. During Lightfall, players didn’t have to wait in line at all, but you can never tell.

Additionally, keep in mind that third-party applications and the official companion app might also be inaccessible for a while, so you can’t use them.

What changes with the new update in “The Final Shape”

What new content can we expect? With “The Final Shape”, Guardians can look forward to many new features and changes in the sandbox. Here’s what to expect:

Patch Notes for “The Final Shape”

What’s in the patch notes? A complete overview of all fixed issues and improvements will only be available after the update goes live, on the evening of the update.

We will update our article and provide you with the link to the patch notes. It is possible that the patch notes may change or be corrected by Bungie afterward.

These are all currently available information regarding the downtime for “The Final Shape”. If there are unforeseen changes, we will, of course, keep you updated. So you are welcome to come back. Until then, we recommend this article about Destiny 2 on MeinMMO: Destiny 2: I played “The Final Shape” before the release – This is my impression of the expansion

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I have already fought 4 bosses in the DLC of Elden Ring and have seen them more often than I like

On June 21, 2024, the big DLC of Elden Ring will be released. MeinMMO author Christoph Waldboth was able to take a closer look at the expansion during a play event. What he thinks about the game world, the bosses, and the new weapons, you can read here.

The games from FromSoftware have been accompanying me for over ten years and are among my absolute favorites. Elden Ring alone has kept me busy for hundreds of hours. Accordingly, the anticipation for the upcoming DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” is huge.

The expansion is full of new content:

  • A new area that is supposed to be larger than Limgrave, the starting area of the main game
  • Over ten bosses
  • Eight new weapon categories and numerous new weapons
  • New equipment items, weapon skills, and spells
  • A progression system that allows you to optionally adjust the difficulty

Overall, the DLC is expected to be the largest that FromSoftware has ever developed. To test it in advance, I was invited to Paris by publisher Bandai Namco and was able to play for about three hours. During that time, I saw the first large area, a legacy dungeon, and smaller castles, as well as four bosses. I was also able to try out some of the new weapons.

Everything I could see impressed me right away. Although the bosses put me in my place multiple times.

Here you can see the story trailer for the DLC, which reveals more about Messmer and his ruthless past.

Start video
Elden Ring shows the DLC ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ in the story trailer

Shadow of the Erdtree is as dark as it sounds

To even enter the DLC, you must have reached the endgame of Elden Ring. You need to defeat the bosses Radahn and Mohg. Only then will the gates to the Shadow Land, a kind of parallel world to the Between Lands, open up for you.

The first thing I notice when entering the expansion is the strange atmosphere. It is quite dark, and in front of me lies an expansive field full of translucent gravestones. Shadows wander around, and something menacing hangs in the air.

The first death doesn’t take long to arrive. A huge, burning oven on two legs confronts me, firing cannons at me and sending me to the afterlife.

Fortunately, I am not alone in this hostile environment. Various NPCs keep telling me about Miquella, whom players already know from the main game, and who is the focus of the DLC.

“Shadow of the Erdtree” seems to focus on a single storyline, and therefore feels narratively denser even in the first minutes of gameplay. However, you shouldn’t expect sprawling cutscenes or dialogues. The game remains content-wise as vague as before.

One of the larger dungeons of the DLC looks impressive even from a distance.

The new weapons bring a fresh breeze to the game

The pre-made dexterity build is a lot of fun, and thanks to the generously filled inventory, I can try out different weapons. They feel refreshingly different in some ways. 

My highlights: Two curved blades that my character holds upside down and that deal a lot of damage quickly in combination. Also, an R2 attack that allows me to dodge like a ninja and strike swiftly.

This new weapon resembles a mix of spear and shield.

Also exciting: two gloves that transform me into a kung fu fighter. Even in the trailer, this fighting style looked pretty cool. While it may seem atypical for Elden Ring, it works great in-game.

The only downside: In battles against large boss enemies, the gloves lack range – I fared much better with my swords.

The boss battles are as tough as ever

Warning Spoiler: The following paragraph reveals details about the bosses of the DLC. If you do not want to know anything about it, jump directly to the next heading.

At the end of a legacy dungeon, I face a wild mix of lion and dog. The boss was already seen in the trailer and uses a whole range of different attacks in battle. First, it rears up and creates whirlwinds, and in the second phase, it rains lightning, snow, and poison. Until the boss finally lies dead in front of me, I have to bite the dust more often than I would like.

In the three hours, I encountered a total of four bosses. Besides the lion, I also faced a Gollum look-alike and a dragon that has learned some new deadly tricks compared to those from the main game. 

In terms of design and combat mechanics, all the bosses were quite different. Their only commonality: They were incredibly difficult. Yes, FromSoftware’s final bosses did what they do best: wiped the floor with me.

This guy is not a boss, but he was still responsible for some deaths due to his huge sword.

If you are worried that the DLC could be too easy, rest assured: The initial bosses alone will likely cost most of you a few attempts. Not to mention the main enemy Messmer, whom you will probably encounter only at the end of the expansion, and whom I have not yet met. He could even outshine Malenia from the main game.

For those who prefer a bit of an easier challenge, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a new feature: Through optional fragments and blessings, you can adjust the difficulty. I found four of them while testing, but I didn’t notice much of a difference. To be perfectly prepared, you should bring a high-level character (at least level 100, better 150) – and especially bring a certain stat to level 60.

A grand expansion, but it lacks the kick

At the end of the three hours, I am fascinated, exhausted, and partially frustrated. Just the perfect Souls mix of impressions. The overall impression is positive. What I have seen meets my expectations.

Nevertheless, I have hardly been surprised. Everything feels familiar. Just more of the very good same. However, I would have wished for a ‘wow’ moment like in the main game. Just think of the first entry into the game world, the dragon crashing down from the sky, the view of the capital… the list is long. I hope the full version of the DLC can catch up here.

For those who are just starting with Elden Ring and discovering the DLC as part of the game, they will certainly have a great time. However, with well over 100 hours, the experience somewhat diminishes the feeling of novelty.

“Shadow of the Erdtree” will be released on June 21, 2024, and will cost 39.99 euros. Until the release, you have time to sharpen your weapons, steel your nerves, and refresh your lore knowledge. The abstract way the game tells its story can at least lead to some players feeling downright dumb.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The bodycam shooter that shocked everyone with its realistic graphics finally has a release date

Two bodycam shooters impressed the internet with their graphics. One of them now has a release date and will be available this week on Steam.

What kind of game is this?

  • “Bodycam” is a first-person shooter developed with Unreal Engine 5 and will be released on Steam.
  • Bodycam lets you, as the title suggests, experience the gameplay from the perspective of a bodycam.
  • It is a multiplayer shooter where PvP is played. There are supposed to be modes like deathmatch and team deathmatch.
  • Besides the unique perspective, Bodycam is primarily characterized by its graphic style. It is intended to appear as realistic as possible and offer a high level of detail.

Bodycam is one of two shooters alongside Unrecord that caused a lot of buzz on social networks due to their extremely realistic graphics and bodycam perspective. For example, a clip of Bodycam on TikTok reached over 14 million views. In the comments, many viewers are unsure whether they are actually seeing a video game or a real bodycam recording of an airsoft session due to the realistic graphics.

Bodycam Release: The realistic shooter will be released this week

When is the release? Bodycam announced the release date for the early access release in a new trailer. The shooter will be released on June 7, 2024, on Steam – so this week.

In addition to the release date, gameplay of the shooter can again be seen in the trailer. This gives us a glimpse of various maps and weapons.

Here you can take a look at the trailer yourself:

Start video
Bodycam reveals the release date in the new trailer

Praise for the trailer, criticism of the game

How is the trailer received? Players are expressing praise in the comments on YouTube for what the trailer shows: the gameplay and graphics.

  • “The game looks like it was made by people who really know what they’re doing. Classic modes, no nonsense, just weapons and throwing objects. This is how shooters should be. The graphics are beautiful. Real physics. I’m excited.”
  • “Looks like I’m playing VR, but with a mouse and a monitor lol. I’m super excited for this game.”
  • “Damn, Bodycam really woke up and delivered a masterpiece.”

However, Bodycam is also receiving a lot of criticism in comments on YouTube. Some players wish for PvE modes or private lobbies, while others complain that there will probably be no progression system like a ranked mode.

In general, it is criticized that the game only has graphics and perspective as selling points. The gameplay itself promises no excitement and consists of waiting around corners for opponents.

Additionally, the shooter is accused of exploiting the hype around Unrecord and wanting to profit from it. Unrecord went viral before Bodycam with its graphics and perspective but has still not been released to this day.

Another point of criticism from commentators on YouTube is that the shooter looks too realistic and the perspective could be disadvantageous. This could potentially lead to motion sickness.

Unrecord has also had to deal with criticism for being too realistic. The streamer Trainwreck wrote for example, “this level of realism in shooting and killing” makes him uncomfortable: Steam: 18 million see the new shooter with realistic graphics – The worst guy on Twitch has moral objections to it

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

An American intelligence agency reveals a simple trick for more security on your mobile phone

Mobile phones are miniaturized computers, and as such, they come with several dangers. If you’re not careful, you can become a victim of criminal activities. The NSA provides tips to stay safe.

Why does the NSA recommend rebooting your phone from time to time? For your safety, is the short answer. More specifically, the NSA advises you in their Mobile Devices Best Practices guide to turn off and back on your phone once a week to make certain types of attacks on your phone and thus your personal data more difficult, including:

  • Zero-click or no-click malware
  • Spear phishing

The former refers to malware that infiltrates the system via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other access points and activates without user intervention. In the case of spear phishing, the user, for instance, opens links or attachments from supposedly official emails or SMS to voluntarily disclose data. Often, viruses or Trojans also secretly install themselves in the process.

How does regular rebooting prevent these attacks? The details would be too extensive here, but generally, when you turn off your phone, all running processes are interrupted, connections are severed, and the memory is cleared.

Upon rebooting, you receive the cleanest possible version of your system. At the same time, Android/Apple security software gets the opportunity to examine everything running both in the foreground and the background.

More tips from the NSA for your phone security

What does the NSA have to do with mobile phones? NSA stands for National Security Agency, and it is the largest foreign intelligence agency of the United States of America. However, they regularly address the English-speaking public on security-related topics.

Speaking of security, Twitch also has an extra committee for this, but something unexpected happened here. Not all members behaved according to social norms in such situations, but see for yourself:

Start video
What happened when Twitch appointed a woman to the security council who behaved like a deer

What else does the NSA recommend to protect your privacy and data? Among the tips are, for example, these:

  • Only install apps from official stores, such as those from Apple or Google.
  • Do not click on unknown links or attachments in emails and text messages.
  • Keep your phone’s operating system and all apps up to date.
  • Turn off Bluetooth when you are not using it.
  • Secure your phone with a pin and/or biometrically.
  • Disable location services when you are not using them.
  • Use a case that can cover the cameras when they don’t need to see.

Anyone who follows all these tips minimizes the risk of unauthorized access by strangers to their phone and thus to the cameras, microphone, or personal data.

For anyone interested in more facts about smartphones after this foray into the often unpleasant world of mobile phone and data security, we offer more on MeinMMO. Elsewhere, for example, we have listed six myths about mobile phone usage that you should definitely stop believing.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

First new servers, then the teaser of a big announcement – that can only mean one thing for New World

With Patch 5.0.2, the developers of New World introduced a new server technology on June 4, 2024. Almost simultaneously, Amazon Games promised a big announcement for the Summer Game Fest.

What is this new server technology? The developers are relying on what they call Splitters in the newly introduced server structure for New World. These are various copies of the game world, designed to better distribute the population of the MMORPG in the future.

With the Splitters, Amazon Games aims to allow more players into Aeternum, thus drastically reducing waiting times. Why? Well, apparently the developers expect a large influx of players soon.

Start video
New World: Rise of the Angry Earth – Trailer for the Expansion

Why should a large influx of players come? We may find out exactly that at the Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 7, 2024. Via X, the individuals responsible at Amazon Games teased an “exciting announcement for New World”.

An announcement of a second expansion is possible. But would they really adjust the server structure for that? With the first add-on “Rise of the Angry Earth”, player numbers did rise significantly for a time, but it was still far from the strong launch phase.

We believe the announcement of a console version of New World is much more likely. On the one hand, the combat system is wonderfully suited for a controller, on the other hand, direct competitors like The Elder Scrolls Online have seen significantly rising player numbers due to a console launch.

Additionally, there was already hint about two years ago that Amazon Games might be working on a console port of the MMORPG.

Effects of the new servers

How do the Splitters work in detail? Back to the new server structure of New World. The developers revealed in the official patch notes of Update 5.0.2 (via Amazon Games) how the Splitters will specifically affect the gameplay:

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

  • Groups: Remain primarily together in the same Splitter (as long as capacity allows).
  • Single players: Will be grouped with friends or company members in the same Splitter whenever possible.
  • Join other Splitters: To switch to someone in another Splitter, you must be in the same area and select “Join Splitter” in the social menu.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

  • Area chat: Limited to players in the same Splitter. The global chat remains unchanged.
  • Actions with nearby players: For activities like trading, music, and duels, all participants must be in the same Splitter.

PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER

  • Special PvP Splitter: Each area has a separate Splitter for PvP to ensure fair play.
  • PvP marking: Players marked for PvP in non-PvP Splitters can switch to the PvP Splitter.
  • Initial introduction: The division into Splitters will initially be limited to Kingsfall and Windkreis. Expansion to other zones depends on feedback and performance.

CAMP

  • Camp locations: Camps remain in the Splitters they were placed in.
  • Recall to camp: You can be recalled to the camp location without being forced into the associated Splitter.
  • Splitter closures: If a Splitter is closed with your camp, the camp is removed, and you will be notified.

What do you think about the new server structure for New World and the teaser from Amazon Games for the Summer Game Fest? What are the developers of the MMORPG announcing? Let us know your opinion in the comments! A dev update from last month did not go down well: The MMORPG from Amazon annoys its players for no reason and is really ridiculous

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Blizzard breaks the “no official esports events for raids from WoW” rule for Cataclysm Classic

The Blizzard authorities have surprisingly announced new esports events for World of Warcraft . Specifically: for WoW Cataclysm Classic. There will even be an official competition between raid guilds. Who would have thought that after all these years?

Why is this announcement remarkable? The Blizzard authorities have organized esports events for World of Warcraft many times in the past, with the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) and the Arena World Championship (AWC) taking place annually for some time now.

However, when it comes to competitive events for raid enthusiasts, the community has always been left to its own devices. Blizzard often only provided accompanying tweets or mentions on official channels for the World-First races.

What has Blizzard announced for Cataclysm Classic? For the remake of the Cataclysm expansion, there will be a competition for speedrun guilds called “Challenge of the Dragon Slayers”. Additionally, a PvP arena tournament is planned.

Start video
WoW Cataclysm Cinematic Trailer

Challenge of the Dragon Slayers

What do I need to know about this event? The event starts on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The participants from the pro guilds Progress and None of the Above will dive into the dungeons of Cataclysm with new characters that have an item level of 346, in order to prepare themselves as best as possible for the second day.

On Sunday, June 9, 2024, the teams will then enter the three Cataclysm raids: Bastion of Twilight, Throne of the Four Winds, and Bastion of the Dragon. The guild that defeats all the bosses there first will receive “the lion’s share of $50,000 prize money.”

The dirty details:

  • Location:  Online: Twitch.tv/Warcraft and YouTube.com/Warcraft
  • Dates:
    • June 8: Day 1 – Equipment/Dungeon phase
    • June 9: Day 2 – Speedrun Raid phase
  • Broadcast start time: 10:00 AM (PDT) / 7:00 PM (CEST)
  • Guilds:
    • Progress (EU – Gehennas)
    • None of the Above (EU – Gehennas)
  • Prize pool: $50,000

Arena Tournament for Cataclysm Classic

What about the PvP tournament? The 3vs3 matches in the Cataclysm arenas will take place from June 14 to June 16, 2024. According to Blizzard, the participants will include the best players from Europe and North America. Matches will be played in a double elimination format.

  • Dates:
    • June 14: Live broadcast of Europe’s Top 8
    • June 15: Live broadcast of America’s Top 8
    • June 16: Tournament finals of Europe and America
  • Broadcast start time:  10:00 AM (PDT) / 7:00 PM (CEST)
  • Format
    • Teams consist of a maximum of three players.
    • All matches during the tournament will be played as “Best-3-of-5”. The final match between the top two teams will be a single “Best-4-of-7” match. There will be no double finale.
  • Prize pool: $50,000 ($25,000 per region)

The teams from World of Warcraft continue to show their commitment to providing special events and game variations that generate attention and/or attract players to the servers at regular intervals. What do you think about it? Do you like the current strategy for WoW? Let us know in the comments! WoW Remix is “the best PvE experience solo players have ever had”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Elden Ring: Player reveals trick to get through one of the most annoying sections of the game

Reaching a specific ending of Elden Ring can be quite frustrating, especially when the worst enemy of the game stands in your way: fall damage. However, thanks to a trick, you can hop to your goal without much trouble.

Which ending is it about? Elden Ring has six different endings, which are more or less challenging to achieve. Unlocking all of them in one playthrough is theoretically possible – check out our guide for that.

Some of the endings are quite straightforward, such as the “Elden Lord – Age of Fracture” ending. For this, you only need to defeat the final boss and select the Fractured Marika.

However, one of the other five endings is a bit more difficult to achieve. We’re talking about “Lord of the Frenzied Flame.” It is the “evil” ending of the game. Once you decide on this, you exclude all other endings.

But to unlock it, you have a pesky “puzzle” in your way. It can quickly become very frustrating. However, thanks to a trick, you can make your life easier.

Start video
Elden Ring shows the DLC ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ in the story trailer

Here’s how to unlock the ending without any problems

What do you need to do to unlock the ending? “Lord of the Frenzied Flame” is a bit hidden. You need to go into the capital Leyndell’s sewers and defeat the boss Mohg there. Not the one from the Mohgwyn Palace, but an alternative version of him.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll find a secret area behind a hidden wall. A very deep shaft, at the bottom of which you’ll find a door. Take off your armor, step through the door, and receive the Frenzied Flame from the Three Fingers. After defeating the final boss, choose “Ignite Frenzied Flame” at the Fractured Marika.

Sounds easy, right?

Unfortunately, that shaft can quickly lead to much frustration. Because here you have to skillfully jump from one platform to another. The boards where you can land are narrow, and it’s all too easy to fall to your death.

However, there’s a simple yet very practical tip. In a YouTube video from the channel Kaki Gaming, he shows that three simple rolls help reach the abyss. Instead of pressing the jump button, the YouTuber uses the dodge roll at certain points.

Here’s the entire video:

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In this way, the player not only reaches his goal at the bottom of the shaft but also takes along the Fingerprint Shield on the way. It is one of the best shields in the game. And all of that thanks to a simple trick that only requires a little change in thinking.

What does the community think? Under the video on YouTube, the comments from many grateful players have gathered.

  • “You are my hero. My blood pressure became a problem with these jumps,” writes @randomvideogamesandwildlif2844.
  • “That was the only guide that helped me,” says @yendorspoots5611.
  • “My therapist thanks you. I died so many times while trying to achieve this,” adds @LOUDERthanU.

Players are grateful to the YouTuber. It seems there were quite a few who bit the dust a couple of times at this point. Did you have trouble reaching the bottom of the shaft? Did you know about the simple trick? Let us know in the comments. For more tips on Elden Ring, check out our overview of all guides on MeinMMO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. youtube.com

Pax Dei: Developers about Early Access, Preview Week, Founder Packages, and the criticism from the Alpha

MeinMMO had the opportunity to talk with two developers from Pax Dei about the latest alpha of the MMORPG and the upcoming early access launch.

After the last alpha test phase, parts of the MeinMMO editorial team looked quite critically at Pax Dei. The sandbox MMORPG plays out in the first hours like a survival adventure without the struggle for survival, and some of the systems (like the combat) felt very unfinished.

However, the beautiful game world was well-received, and the initial flow of gathering, crafting, and building quickly developed a certain allure. And when the guild of the popular streamer Asmongold constructed an impressive castle around a mountain, it was clear how great the potential of Pax Dei’s building system is.

Start video
Pax Dei – Official Announcement with Gameplay

In Conversation with the Developers

So there was a need to talk, and two developers from Mainframe Industries took the time to answer some questions from MeinMMO: Lead UX Designer Jasmin Dahncke and Chief Product Officer Sulka Haro.

More than 100,000 interested players participated in the last alpha of Pax Dei. Accordingly, there was a lot of feedback, and the team’s to-do list was correspondingly long after the test. It also includes other milestones, such as the upgrade of Unreal Engine 5 to the latest version, which will noticeably impact the entire geometry of the game world.

Such villages and towns will be built by players in Pax Dei.

One topic during the alpha test was the sometimes difficult performance, which was hampered by physics errors in the calculation of interactions with NPCs. Thanks to the test, many such bugs could already be fixed.

Another major issue concerns the combat system, which during the alpha operated without hit feedback. This area is expected to receive the most comprehensive improvements, so that battles feel more understandable and satisfying.

Additionally, alpha testers can look forward to many balancing adjustments, for example regarding resources that are too difficult to find or the unlocking of recipes (considering timing and order). The stun effect from the shield strike has proven to be far too powerful in PvP; adjustments will also be made here.

Powerful Build Editor

Sulka Haro mentioned during the interview the video from Asmongold and the massive castle. The team was genuinely blown away by how much creativity, passion, and energy the community has already invested in such and other elaborate projects during the alpha.

In a way, you hope that something like this happens. But to see it actually happen. We were so happy that it became reality.

Sulka Haro in an interview with MeinMMO

In the course of the conversation, the Chief Product Officer explains that it is mainly thanks to UE5 features like Nanite and Lumen that it is possible to offer a game world with such graphics and with so many components (“hundreds of thousands”).

According to Haro, one challenge was that every valley in Pax Dei is hosted by an Unreal server that can only accommodate 150 players at the same time. So what to do when a huge guild like Asmongold’s storms a valley? The solution is a system of multiple layers of the game world, similar to the servers of WoW Classic.

Unlike in WoW, however, all construction progress on one layer must be immediately shared with all other instances of the valley. Finding a solution for this was tricky. But it is indeed possible for thousands of players to work on a project together. So don’t be surprised if in crowded valleys suddenly walls, roofs, and so on appear almost out of nowhere.

In Pax Dei, impressive fortresses can also be built on cliffs.

An MMORPG Straddling the Fence

Of course, the MeinMMO first impression from the alpha also came up in the interview. The fact that Pax Dei feels like a survival adventure without the struggle for survival in the first hours is indeed an intentional design decision. On one hand, because a large focus of the game is on gathering, building, and crafting.

On the other hand, the entry should be easy for both MMO and survival fans. Players should get to know the mechanics of Pax Dei without constantly worrying about factors such as hunger, thirst, or dangerous monsters.

However, the MMO aspect unfolds more and more over time. For instance, when it comes to realizing larger construction projects, efficiently farming resources, trading goods and raw materials, incursions into areas with activated PvP, or visiting dungeons.

In the PvP zones, you can loot the corpses of defeated players.

At the end of the appointment, the two devs visited one of the group instances, which is best tackled with groups consisting of tanks, healers, and damage dealers. The shown crypt was large and winding. Due to the lack of a mini-map, even the path to the dungeon entrance is a challenge.

If the entire group dies in a dungeon, you will respawn at the instance entrance and have to walk back to your corpses. If only some of the allies die, you can revive them on the spot.

Pax Dei is most fun with two or three friends. So you don’t need a guild as large as Asmongold’s. […] By the time early access starts, solo playability should still improve. Additionally, you can expect improvements for the clan finder, which will make it easier for you to find companions for your adventure.

Sulka Haro in an interview with MeinMMO

Start of Early Access and Preview Week

In the conversation, the developers revealed the roadmap for the upcoming weeks:

  • Early access starts on PC on June 18, 2024
  • Before that, from June 7 to June 12, 2024, there will be a preview week in which selected streamers will play Pax Dei and build a beautiful city while completing daily challenges. – 8,000 invitations have been sent out for the event.
  • At the end of the preview week, the developers will release the new trailer for the start of the early access phase.

Since June 4, 2024, interested players can secure various founder packs to play the early access version without restrictions. Prices range from just under 40 to 100 euros. The more expensive versions offer more character slots, building plots, and exclusive recipes.

Note that the developers have not yet decided on the final monetization model for the live version. It is clear that they prefer a Buy2Play version. Additionally, they are considering a monthly subscription. Therefore, purchasing the founder’s pack guarantees full access to the game only for the early access phase.

Furthermore, Sulka Haro emphasized during the conversation that Pax Dei is far from being a finished product even with the start of early access. Features will be missing, there will be bugs, and server wipes will happen. The early access phase is intended to last at least a year.

However, as Haro further explains, it is important to get a large number of players on the servers as quickly as possible to efficiently achieve development progress. This lesson was learned from the various MMORPGs that many developers of Pax Dei have worked on before. More info about Pax Dei: New sandbox MMO starts in spring on Steam, mixing survival and MMORPG

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: Who is the coolest character in the universe? You have the choice

When launching The Final Shape, we asked ourselves who the coolest character in Destiny is. You now have the chance to provide an answer in our survey.

Destiny 2 is bringing the saga of light and darkness to a close after 10 years with The Final Shape. Along this long journey, we have encountered various characters who either stood by us to help or sought to destroy us with all their power.

Some of the characters we met are real nuisances. Others, however, are really cool and popular among players. But who is the coolest character in Destiny?

We have listed 25 different characters from Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 in our survey for you to choose from, so you can help your favorite gain the fame he or she deserves.

How was the selection of characters made? We consulted within the editorial team and decided on 25 characters who had cool appearances, were recurring figures, or significantly influenced the story of the loot shooter.

NPCs like Xûr, Tess Everis, or Master Rahool hold a special place in the Destiny community, but lost the coolness comparison against Cayde-6, Oryx, and the others due to lack of cinematic appearances. Zavala certainly also counts among the coolest characters in the universe – even though fans suspect he might betray you in The Final Shape.

Overall, we set a limit of 25 characters to avoid making the selection too large and overwhelming. If a particularly special personality is missing from our list, feel free to choose the option “Another” and let us know in the comments who you would choose.

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Destiny 2 shows the launch trailer for The Final Shape

Currently, maintenance work is underway on the servers in Destiny 2, as the release of The Final Shape is approaching – the expansion is set to begin at 7:00 PM German time. You can find out the current status of the servers in our live ticker on MeinMMO: Destiny 2: Server Down for “The Final Shape” has started – All info in the live ticker

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.